Broken Promises
by waatp
Summary: After the ICCA win, Beca discovered she had a secret. After a horrible accident, she runs from Barden, unable to cope with the emotions presented to her. She leaves with nothing but the clothes on her back. Three months later, Beca is far from home, stubborn and in need of help. Her friends are desperately searching for her. Will they find her before she runs again?
1. The Miserable Start

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter One - The Miserable Start .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Beca Mitchell painted a lonely, sad and thoroughly miserable picture as she sat, with her back firmly pressed up against the motel room door, in the rundown, slightly seedy but cheap one star, at best, hotel, just on the outskirts of Las Vegas. The room she was in was plain, the cheapest she could find with musty, threadbare carpets, a thick layer of grime on the overhead light fittings and more dead flies and moths collected in between the two window panes than she'd ever seen before.

But it was cheap. Like, really cheap.

She hadn't moved an inch for the last couple of hours, feeling the warmth of the day through the closed, triple locked door. An almost empty, crinkled water bottle rested quietly in the crook of her bent knee. She'd walked from her bed to the window to take a look outside and found she had no motivation to walk back again. She'd slid down the door and ended up staying exactly where she was.

She didn't have the energy to blink any more, let alone cry the tears that had been filling her eyes for the last few days. She didn't even bother trying to sigh; there was no one there to hear her silent pleas. She had let the tears dry by themselves and her face, once shiny and full of life, now just felt cracked and sore.

As the day gave way to the night and the darkness enveloped the space around her, Beca heard the familiar sounds of people returning to their rooms. She didn't move to switch on the overhead light, despite the shadows creeping over her like dirty fingers. Hearing the car doors slamming out in the parking lot, the happy chatter as people returned to their rooms in the nearby hotels and the faint hum of the old tube televisions; it all just added to her misery. The faint glow of the Strip, the hues dancing, almost twinkling in the mirror on the opposite side of the room reminding her of the life still going on outside of the room.

She heard a woman's laughter next door and for just a moment, it dragged her from her reverie, prompting a memory of a happier time, not so long ago. A time when she had laughed, socialised with friends, she'd had a family that loved her, she had her adored music, there was food in her cupboard, there was always something to do and she had her life. Now she was left with nothing but resentful memories and a dull pain in her heart that ached and the sting in her stomach of knowing that this was all her fault.

The laughing continued and it irked her. Really irked her. With a bitter taste in her mouth, she turned her head towards the sound and glared at the happiness oozing through the drywall.

"Shut up!" She slurred angrily, her voice uneven from weariness and lack of talking.

She knew they couldn't hear her. No one could hear her anymore; her voice was now silent in the world. She knew that was her fault. She didn't open up to people, she shut people out. She didn't know how to connect on a level like her other friends. She tried. She really did but then, she had kept silent when she should have spoken. She should have been honest. People got hurt. People had suffered. People had died. All because she couldn't find the words to voice what was in her heart and in her head.

She should have reached out to her friends, if not her boyfriend. Chloe would have been there like a shot. She was always by her side. Aubrey as well, in a weird kind of way and Amy would have trampled a door down if Beca had needed her too. She could have talked to them if she was afraid to talk to Jesse.

It was just easier to sit in the dark where no one bothered her. Save for the occasional beam of light outside from a car's headlamp shining on the motel room ceiling or the glow from a mobile phone as the owner walked past the window, she sat in the dark, alone, until the world stilled around her and the moon was high in the night sky.

She finally moved, stiffly at first, knocking the water bottle to the floor. She peered down at the sound, almost surprised to see it roll across the dirty carpet as she had forgotten it was there. Slowly unscrewing the lid, she drained the dregs of the warm liquid before tossing the bottle onto the unmade bed in the middle of the room.

Raising her knees to her chest, she sluggishly wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her feet as close to her as possible. She laid her heavy head on her knee and finally let the tears that had been threatening to fall, softly, noiselessly run down her chin onto her ripped jeans. She didn't bother to wipe them away.

As the day's toll finally began to take effect, and she submitted to its pull, she saw the faces of her friends. She saw his face, full of regret and unspent love in his eyes, yearning to be close to her again. She had pushed him away, not even explaining her reasons why. He held out his hand to her and in her exhausted state, she reached out her fingers to take it in the dark room. She grasped at air.

Now, it was too late.

She summoned up the courage to think about him for a moment. Reminding herself of her best friend, boyfriend and the very real love that she did have for him.

"Oh Jesse, I am sorry. I am so fucking sorry." She whispered into the dark, stale room.

**.o0o.**

Jesse had plagued Beca for a year for acceptance of his love and while she had succumbed to the pressure and agreed to be his best friend for life, he had kept pushing her for more. Beca didn't want to be pushed. She liked to be in control of her own emotions. Of her own destiny. But she could be honest with herself and say that she never felt so loved and safe as she did in his arms; so wanted, so needed by someone but she just didn't return the love he showed her. She couldn't. She didn't know how. So, instead she kept pushing him away until they fought and he gave her a taste of her own medicine. Realising what she'd lost, she made it up to him with the Bella's finale piece.

After the ICCA finals and the kiss that they shared, she agreed to date him and laughed at how happy he seemed as he spun her around; warm, secure hands encircling her waist. She pushed all the nagging doubts to the back of her mind as he reached his hand round the back of her head, collecting her hair in his fingers as he tilted her head back for a kiss.

"I told you it was inevitable." He whispered into her ear and she had rolled her eyes at him, a look that he had missed as he wrapped his arms around her.

The ICCA after show party was incredible and even Aubrey had let her hair down and Beca could have sworn she saw her with a beer in her hand at one point before leaving with Uni to 'get some fresh air'. The drive home was electric. Fat Amy had taken the scenic drive home, unable to admit she was lost but it gave the Bella's the time to breathe, have a drink from Chloe's secret stash and just enjoy their celebratory moment. Amy had offered her three month old burrito around but nobody else had wanted to partake of that delight.

They had pulled into the parking lot back at Barden and the Treblemakers had already started celebrating on their behalf, organising pizza and beer back at the Trebles House. Jesse had practically yanked Beca from the bus when the girls arrived, wrapping his arms around her again and dragging her towards the party. They all danced and sang until the early hours of the morning, just enjoying themselves. Aubrey, very drunk at this point, had practically given Fat Amy a lap dance and Chloe and Stacie had led the dancing, some of Beca's mixes filling the room. Lilly sat quietly in the corner, hugging a voodoo doll while Cynthia Rose showed everyone just how good her pipes were.

Later that night, after they had stumbled to Beca's room and with Kimmy Jin having left campus to take part in an all-night Wii party with her friends, Jesse and Beca shared their first night together as a couple.

It was a drunken, sloppy fumble that saw them both collapsing on the bed in a fit of giggles until Beca took her bra off. Jesse sobered up pretty sharpish and began to concentrate on the task at hand or rather under his hands. He took his time, enjoyed the contours of her body as she writhed under his fingers. She trailed kisses over his chest, sank her hands through his soft curls and opened herself up to him. There was a keenness to him that Beca, despite her best interests, couldn't match. She needed time to think, to make completely sure she wanted him but she knew she'd gotten carried away with the evening's events; her belly was too full of tequila for her brain to function properly. She had needed Jesse to take her to Heaven so she could fall in love with him properly but as he collapsed on top of her with a loud grunt, her heart had sunk. He had laid nuzzled into her neck for a moment before his drunken stupor had made way for heavy snoring and Beca had pushed him off her so she could breathe. She was under no illusions that her first time was also going to be her worst time but she still cried into her pillow.

The next morning was slightly embarrassing. Beca just wanted Jesse out of her bed, her room and her morning. She wanted to think about everything and didn't want to have that conversation with him. The previous night had been a disappointment. Not just the bad sex and the wet, sloppy kisses, but that Beca had felt absolutely nothing special for the handsome guy, currently hogging her blankets and showing his bare ass to the world.

She had rolled over and sat on the edge of her bed, reaching over to retrieve her underwear and clothes from the floor. Slipping the tee shirt over her head and threading her arms through the holes, she walked to her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans. Stepping into them quickly, she pushed her feet into shoes, ignoring the dull, thumping headache looming at the back of her skull.

With a tired sigh, the one that only comes from a night of no sleep, Beca quickly ripped a piece of paper from her notepad and scribbled a note to Jesse, explaining or rather lying about an unexpected Bella's meet for breakfast and that she would see him later. She felt tears prick her eyes as she left him in her bed and walked out of the dorm, heading to the showers to get cleaned up.

**.o0o.**

She could hear a police siren in the distance snapping her out of her daydream and she wondered if they had finally found out where she had been hiding for twelve weeks, laying low in the worst place she'd ever been to. Deeming they had come to arrest her for getting Jesse killed, she ran her fingers through her hair before shaking out her limbs, ready to try to make a run for it.

She had left everything behind, her phone, her purse, her music, her friends, her family, her life and had just run with the shirt on her back and her birthday dollars in her pocket. Dollars that were severely depleted now after weeks of living in the motel. She had rationed food, eating only the bare minimum and that was only because she had to. She drank water from the tap to save money but she'd have given her right arm for a chilled Dr Pepper from the vending machine. She checked the machine regularly to see if one had fallen by accident but her luck was never in. She had taken to bin diving on one occasion; the smell of someone's discarded pizza was just too much. The humiliation kept her awake all night and early in the morning, around four, she had thrown it up anyway. Pizza had been the last thing she'd eaten before she ran away.

The flashback of her birthday party caused her stomach to swell and bile began to rise in her throat as she choked down a sob.

Chloe, Aubrey and Amy had worked so hard on arranging her party and everyone she cared about was there. She was sure her 19th birthday wasn't all that special really, coming four weeks after the ICCA finals in May but secretly she loved the hard work and care that her best friends had put into decorating the community hall on campus and sorting out the food. Her Dad showed up, had hugged and kissed his daughter and pressed $500 into her hand, praising her and saying how insanely proud of her he was. That had meant the world to Beca.

They had all danced and sang together for hours, Jesse leading the Trebles in a birthday dance for his girlfriend like no other. Akin to Magic Mike, the Trebles stripped to their boxers and Jesse was about to go Full Monty when Beca, laughing, pleaded with him to keep his pants on. Beca has actually felt happy, like really happy, the feeling returning from a long time ago.

She had been spoiled rotten with gifts of money. Everyone knew Beca had had her eye on a new laptop, far superior to the one she used for her mixes now and she had been given just enough money to buy it. She had become overwhelmed with the generosity, as she had slipped the cash into her back pocket. As she hugged Chloe tightly to her, knowing full well it was her redheaded friend who had organised the gift as she had spoken to Chloe with great excitement about the latest technology; she had started to choke down her tears. She had done that a few times in the past couple of days and seemed to be crying at almost anything but Chloe just hugged her tighter, only pulling apart so that Aubrey could join in. Beca was grateful in that moment that Amy was chugging down on a piece of cheesecake in the corner of the room.

However, it all became too much for Beca when the music had paused, the lights had been turned up for arrival of the cake, a lovingly decorated Barden Bella's pitch pipe, and Jesse had taken a knee, holding out a small black velvet box towards her ...

**.o0o.**

Thinking of the cake now, Beca placed her hands over her grumbling stomach, lacing her fingers tightly, protectively over her belly. She loving stroked her little paunch, just visible under the waistband of her jeans and whispered softly.

"Okay little one ... I'll eat tomorrow. Just for you."

If only she had been honest sooner.


	2. The Friendly Interlude

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Two - The Friendly Interlude .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Aubrey Posen was desperately trying to not vomit into her recycling bin as she shuffled her summer college notes and papers together before neatly stapling, hole punching and filing into the correct (labelled and colour coded) folder. She liked to be organised and couldn't abide chaos.

She gulped a couple of times before standing up, smoothing down her shirt, straightening her back and placing the binder back in its correct position on the shelf above her desk. She wasn't quite sure why she felt the need to vomit so badly that morning, only that that day felt like strange, out of sorts yet perfectly ordinary. It certainly was nothing to do with the bottle and a half of expensive, pretty potent Merlot that Chloe and she had polished off the night before night.

No, sir.

She flinched briefly as a fresh wave of nausea had risen into her throat and she looked around the room, needing to find something to distract her. Everything was in order, military style, Posen style. She stepped past her chair and pushed it underneath her worktable, squaring the back of the chair against the rim of the desk, adjusting it, making sure it was at the correct angle. She pulled back her curtains, using the ties to keep them neat and tidy and rolled up the blinds, blinking for a second at the morning sun.

She smoothed her duvet cover and adjusted a picture frame on her bedside table. Her eyes glazed slightly at the picture of herself, Chloe and Beca, arms around each other in the park, taken the weekend before Beca's birthday. In the top right hand corner, she could just make out Amy practising a cartwheel, her clothes all askew which she explained on her jumping.

Aubrey's stomach rolled and her lip trembled a little at the sight of her girls. It was true that she and Beca had become good friends and Aubrey considered her a great asset to her life. She wouldn't be with her but there was a couple of dark thoughts sitting, right at the back of her brain that screamed that she was slightly mad at Beca for upping and leaving without a thought or care to them. She didn't care to share Lilly's thoughts that she been abducted by aliens and had only been sucked into Amy's irrational thoughts that Beca had run away to join the circus for a few minutes.

She took a few deep breaths as she gathered up the water glass from her desk and headed to her bedroom door. Bracing herself for the day ahead and the whirlwind that had become her life in recent weeks, she paused briefly, running a nervous hand over her stomach and shaking out her shoulders before stepping out into the narrow hall between the bedrooms and the living areas expecting the usual chaos and noise from her apartment, into a wall of silence.

Silence that was actually deafening.

Temporarily thrown off, she paused, the urge to vomit lessening. She was pleased. Despite it being a Saturday, she was still out of bed at 6.00, had completed a difficult hours run (quantifying to herself that it was absolutely nothing to do with the Merlot and it must have been some dodgy prawns or simply lack of sleep) before half an hour of weights and stretches. She then had a shower, a tidy of her college notes, a sort through of her laundry before leaving her bedroom at precisely 8.00. Perfectly presented. Like every other morning.

Today was going to be a busy day and she wanted to be organised. She wanted to run through some ideas for new Bella routines, she needed to call her father and she had to pop into the city to make a start on her Christmas shopping. To her, there was nothing like being over prepared or being very organised and it didn't matter that Christmas was still over three months away. College had begun and she knew the auditions for the new intake of Bellas was about to commence. She wished Beca was there for the inductions. As much as she hated to admit it in the beginning, she had made the girls sound better.

Aubrey passed the closed doors of the rest of the apartment and made her way to the kitchen, placing her glass into the sink. Despite it being early, it was unusual for someone not to be up and awake. More often than not, she'd leave her room to get a glass of water around two in the morning and find Lilly hanging from the ceiling like a bat or Cynthia Rose passed out on the sofa, hugging a pillow tight to her chest. Smoothing her shirt again, she reached into the cupboard for a mug and quickly filled it with coffee from the maker on her right.

Noting quickly that the coffee was hot and fresh, she knew someone else in the apartment must be awake. She took in her surroundings for a moment as she leant against the kitchen counter top, wrapping one arm around her waist as she sipped her coffee.

After deciding to come back to Barden for Grad School, both Chloe and Aubrey had decided to rent an apartment together; Aubrey having distinctly mellowed in the past few months and Chloe needing to be with Aubrey and the stability and comfort that she only got from her best friend.

**.o0o.**

Aubrey's father, pleased that his only daughter was furthering her education, agreed to fund the apartment for them, on the proviso that Aubrey retain her 'first in class' status. It was not hard to fall in line with Charles Posen's ideas; the consequences were not worth defying him. The apartment the two girls found for the price Aubrey's father was willing to pay was large, spacious, airy and just far enough off campus that it felt like a real home and not a college sorority house.

It had two large double bedrooms, three smaller bedrooms, a small room for storage, two full bathrooms and two half baths as well as a huge open lounge and kitchen area, a study nook and double doors leading onto a large terrace, complete with a small hot tub and seating area. They had fallen in love with it immediately, despite not needing the extra space, but it was well under the budget that was offered so they decided to take it. The catch being that it was a bus ride into the college or a long walk which nobody seemed to mind, as the three mile walk was across a large, open park and it often saw Aubrey taken the Bellas out there for warm up routines.

The extra space came in handy as, one by one, their friends moved in as well. At first, Aubrey was horrified at the thought of a houseful of girls but now she found that having them around was a real comfort and actually a lot of fun, despite all the quirks and the noise.

She had made a roster with strict instructions for it being adhered to, before labelling it carefully, colour coding it and attached it with double strength tape to the refrigerator. She loved the beauty of a rule. The girls had enough respect for their Bella co-captain to do as they were told!

Most of the time anyway.

Aubrey had taken it upon herself to be the organiser of the apartment. She would make the cleaning lists, the cooking timetable and the shopping rotas. She had stopped short of organising a bathroom schedule but they seemed to be able to sort the morning out around everyone's schedule. Nobody actually minded being structured; it kept things orderly, neat and tidy. Posen style.

Fat Amy was the third person to join them, in the apartment on Kenner Drive, claiming one of the smaller bedrooms within a day of the girls moving in. She adorned the walls with pictures from home, installed an inflatable kangaroo in the corner and pink fluffy cushions scattered everywhere.

Cynthia Rose and Stacie were next and offered to share one of the larger bedrooms together. Chloe had originally taken that room but moved into the second small bedroom, pretending she preferred the view. Nobody mentioned that it was the one closer to Aubrey who had offered to share with her but Chloe was happy with her little room, decorating it in soft blues and purples.

Lilly moved in a week later, into the last small room, immediately installing a spy camera, double locks and a water sprinkler system. She hung a set of samurai swords from the ceiling and spent most of her arrival day muttering incantations and throwing salt and Italian seasoning over everybody. Aubrey remained in the largest room, which nobody minded, because it was her father that was paying for it all in the first place and because she had quickly installed a sofa bed in there for whenever Ashley or Jessica decided to stay over, which was fairly regularly. Ashley and Jessica were renting one of the tiny student studio apartments on campus which was handy for the girls to use as a base for a quick shower after Bella practice. Denise had moved to Nova Scotia to live with her new girlfriend.

**.o0o.**

As Aubrey moved from the kitchen into the lounge area, straightening the sofa cushions and squaring up the coasters as she passed through, she heard a quiet sobbing coming from one of the bedrooms, just off the hallway. Taking a gulp of coffee, she quickly crossed to the door and stood outside the door that had been festooned with twinkling lights and glitter.

Aubrey heard Chloe crying.

And Chloe never cried.

**.o0o.**

Chloe Beale was the epitome of sunshine, rainbows, cookies, love, warmth, glitter and fairy wings all wrapped up in a person. She was happiness personified, a rolling wave of joy and laughter. She was a friend to everyone and she was everyone's friend. She took the time to get to know people and was an open book with her own heart and mind, verbalising her thoughts and occasionally over sharing. She instinctively knew when someone was hurting; the cerulean blue eyes boring into someone's soul until the reasons and truth would slip out before the troubled friend would know what had hit them. Her hugs were legendary, albeit occasionally painful, and she had no problems with invading someone's personal space. Ever.

She called her parents twice a week without fail, texted her brothers and sent them random things through the mail just because she could. She wrote letters to her grandparents, knowing the technological age was too much for them to handle and just because she actually liked hand writing letters. She sent postcards to her friends, whether they lived with her or not. Chloe had the largest amount of Facebook friends and Twitter followers out of anyone.

She made friends with people that easily and simply that within ten minutes of knowing her, it felt like a lifetime. Ask her about any single person and she would recount something unique about any of them be it the first time they met, a single important date, or an amusing story. She never forgot a birthday. She never forgot an anniversary. She would remember important events and if the occasion warranted it, she would send a message.

Chloe was funny and warm. She would pull faces at people through windows. She would blow on a car window and leave a signature smiley face in the fog. She would draw heart shapes in dust. She would write silly words in the dirt or in the sand then take a photo and send it to someone. She would paint faces on rocks and leave them on people's doorsteps. She decorated her room with photos of her friends and littered the apartment with memories.

Chloe was the one who sourced the knick-knacks for their home; the cushions, rugs, ornaments, pictures ... all ugly beautiful, tasteful yet tacky and nothing colour coordinated. It was a complete mash of nonsense but it was her way of showing love to her friends. To an outsider, it may have looked like a bunch of mismatched tat, junk and unwanted items but from the large collection of seashells and rocks to the movie posters to the framed song lyric pictures to the 'borrowed' street sign to the massive collection of colourfully decorated photos; it was all Chloe and her love for her friends and their memories.

She would play music too loud, singing her heart out when she thought no one was home. She watched movies that invoked huge belly laughs, causing anyone watching with her to jump out of their skin, and some that made her cry, usually wrapped up in the form of something Disneyesque or about puppies. She would dance like a crazy person if she felt like it and weirdly it was usually in her underwear, never apologising if someone else saw her.

On occasion she would drink too much and drunk text her friends to tell them how much she loved them or how beautiful they were and would always be mortified the next day. No one cared, she was never horrible. Chloe wore her heart on her sleeve and was open, warm and loving.

Chloe was the one who planned the fun aspects of the apartment. Whether it be 'Movie and M&M Marathon' night, 'Tequila and Mexican' night, 'Spa and Shot' night, or one of their pretty legendary game nights, Chloe organised it all. She didn't care if just one other person turned up or all eight of them were there, she put all her love and dedication into it. It kept her busy. Chloe needed to be kept busy. It stopped her missing Beca and kept her from worrying so much, even if it was an hour or so. Her friends didn't mind Chloe's need to be organised. She was too damn good at it for it to be annoying. Not one of them doubted that it was Chloe who kept them together as a group, especially when the going got tough.

Before Aubrey mellowed, she would send the girls personal messages after a Bella practice, telling them how good each girl was and commenting on their strengths within the Bellas. She never lied to Aubrey about doing it, wouldn't go behind her friends back like that, Chloe was far, far, far too honest for that. And weirdly Aubrey had never said anything, secretly pleased at the good cop, bad cop routine they had going on. Aubrey knew that Chloe's friendliness was what kept the girls coming back day after day to the Bella's. Why else would they be there as it was certainly not for Aubrey to shout at them, each and every day.

She was also incredibly smart; ridiculously clever without being intimidating and was currently top of all her classes. She didn't really have to study to breeze through classes and exams but she liked to learn. She liked to impart knowledge but never rammed it down people's throats. She could have gone to Harvard, Yale or Stanford but she chose to stay at Barden to be closer to her friends, and Tom of course.

Tom had graduated already but was keen to stay close by to his girlfriend. He already had a job in the city and would happily commute at any time to see his Chloe; both having got over their steamy hook ups in the grim showers of the dorm rooms and progressed into a proper grown up relationship with dates, late night phone calls, and weekends away.

Chloe simply loved that her friends were together. It wasn't well known but she was a worrier by nature and she actually needed people to be close by to her. For her own support, not that she would ever admit that to anyone, as she often felt that she needed to be the mother hen in the group. Chloe was the antithesis to Aubrey's rigid demeanour. She didn't like the dynamic of a group when one person was missing; it never felt right.

That was why she was now in tears as she sat at her desk, laptop open with a half written email on the screen, gnawing at a pen, desperately trying to not make too much noise so not to disturb anyone, because someone was missing from her life and that was someone she really did care about ... loved even.

**.o0o.**

Aubrey knocked softly as she opened the door to Chloe's room.

"Chloe?"

Chloe, lost in her own thoughts, jumped a foot in the air and threw her pen across the desk with a squeak. She hadn't heard Aubrey knocking and hadn't known she was awake when she had made fresh coffee half an hour ago. Which was silly really considering anyone could set your watch by Aubrey's timings. Chloe spun around in her chair and Aubrey was shocked to see the dark circles under her best friend's eyes.

"Hey Bree. You scared the living shit out of me!" Chloe laughed, despite the obvious tear streaks running down her face. Aubrey moved into the room, quietly clicking the door shut behind her. "How are you this morning?"

"How long have you been up?" Aubrey asked her redheaded friend, ignoring her question.

"I ... I'd ... I never went to bed." Chloe replied, wiping her face with her hands, and administering a smile to her lips. "I thought I'd send a couple of emails on that list of hotels in Las Vegas. You know; make a start before I get leave for the Memphis festival this morning. I just decided on a whim to try there because of the music convention that's taking place this weekend. I might try to go to Las Vegas next weekend. I just didn't realise the time then I was beyond tired so I just stayed up and did some more."

"How many did you do?" Aubrey questioned, as she approached Chloe's desk, looking down at the list of hotels, all neatly crossed off.

"About twelve hundred ..." Chloe said, motioning with her hand towards the list.

"Chloe?"

"I know Bree. But I have to find her. Something happened to her. She left everything behind and hasn't made contact once. Not once. I can feel it. Something isn't good. Beca wouldn't have just left us. She wouldn't have left me." Chloe said, fresh tears running down her face. "Or Jesse."

"Chloe, we've tried everything. The Police tried everything. Until more evidence has been found, they cannot get the FBI involved, we've discussed this already. We've looked everywhere around here. Beca doesn't want to be found. It's been twelve weeks. She isn't coming back. She probably ran off to Los Angeles and started afresh." Aubrey said as she ran her arms around Chloe's shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. Chloe reached up to cling onto Aubrey's shirt. "I don't really understand why you are so upset about this."

"Aubrey!"

"I am sorry, that came out wrong. I mean, I know Chloe, I miss her too. I kind of loved the little midget. And that infuriates me in itself. But she's an adult. She chose to take off. She chose not to contact one of us. She chose to leave."

"I know Bree. But what if she's been in an accident? What if she's hurt and doesn't remember who she is?"

"Chloe, we've been over this a hundred times. I said I would help you in your mad endeavour to search the entire United States to find her, but it's been months and you've not even scratched the surface. Who knows what goes on in that maddening head of yours? And have you thought about what you are going to do when you find her? What you are going to say? She may not want to be found?"

"She doesn't know what happened that night. She must think that Jesse died in that accident. Bree, she ran away on her birthday. Her birthday Bree. With nothing. She had nothing. No clothes. No phone. No money." Chloe snapped, counting the items off her fingers. "I have to find her. I don't know why. But wouldn't you want someone looking for you if you have left thinking you had gotten your boyfriend killed. Wouldn't you want to know someone loved you enough to worry about you and care for you and were willing to stop at nothing to find you? To tell you the truth? Hmm?"

Aubrey sighed. It was the same conversation every time she brought the subject up with Chloe. She couldn't have stopped her if she wanted to and she didn't want to, if she was honest with herself, but realistically, how on earth would Chloe find Beca in a country of millions.

Chloe had the idea weeks ago to start emailing hotels, motels, B&B's and lodges in major cities with a plea to help find their friend; in the hope that Beca was just sulking in a hotel, waiting for someone to come and find her or perhaps she was working in a dead end job and simply needed a kick up the backside to come back home. Chloe had the notion that Beca needed someone to find her but was too stubborn to call home. No-one questioned Chloe, they knew of the special connection between the two friends; it was stronger than normal.

Chloe had started on the east coast and had spent most of the summer weekends flying up and down the country hitting some of the larger cities in the hope of finding Beca. She was lucky that she had a ridiculously large trust fund from an old uncle that was funding these weekends away. But Chloe was exhausted. Not that she would tell anyone.

"Bree?"

"Yes. Sorry. I was miles away. Sorry, what did you say?"

"I was just saying that I wanted to finish getting the last of these emails out before I go to the airport. Would you mind giving me a lift today? I am too tired to drive and don't feel I could."

"Yes, of course." Aubrey replied, tucking a kiss on the top of Chloe's head. "I will get you some coffee and let you get ready. And just for the record, I do care. I love Beca too."

"Not in the same way I do." Chloe mumbled into the crook of her elbow but Aubrey caught the words, knowing that Beca had gripped hold of Chloe's heart in a different way to anyone else.

As Aubrey walked from Chloe's room, she turned to see her best friend furiously typing the remainder of the email. Chloe had sent tens of thousands of emails in the past few weeks, explaining to whoever the email ended up with that they were looking for a friend who was in trouble, and if anyone had any information about their friend, to please contact her immediately. She enclosed pictures too, in the hope that someone recognised her and understood the heartfelt plea in her words and would contact her back. She had had a few responses from people wishing her well but with no news.

Aubrey felt it was a pointless task and that Beca had probably started a new life somewhere without them, but that was a feeling she forced herself to believe to stop her thinking about what the other possibilities could be. In this day and age, people didn't want to get involved in other people's problems and who was to say Chloe was who she was.

Although she did understand what Chloe was alluding to; Beca had been friendly towards the Bella's, especially her and Chloe and she had seemed to enjoy her birthday party until she had run away after thinking Jesse was dead. Aubrey couldn't fathom what Beca was doing for money? How was she getting by? What if she had to turn to prostitution ... oh goodness! The familiar feeling rumbled in her throat as she crossed quickly to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach.

Aca-crap.

Chloe was ready with her weekend bag packed an hour later. Feeling better and more awake after a long, hot shower and hair wash, she was dressed casually in jeans, flip flops and a blue top which matched her eyes. Despite looking tired, she had a glow about her. The determined set of her mouth belied the sadness in her eyes. Her hair tied up in a loose, scruffy ponytail gave her the casual look she was aiming for, a look intended to hide the pain she felt in her heart.

Chloe sent a text to Tom saying hello and that she would see him when she got back on Sunday night. She slipped her phone back into her pocket, checked for any replies to her emails on her iPad before loading it into her handbag, picked up the hoodie she laid out on her bed and pulled her bedroom door closed behind her.

"Bree? I'm ready to go." Chloe called out softly, pausing at Aubrey's door so to not wake the others early on a Saturday morning. She heard Amy's door open as she walked on the soft carpet past Aubrey's door, towards the lounge.

"Hooroo Red. Where yoos off to? Yoos gonna find our alt chick this time?"

"Hope so Amy. Memphis this weekend. Music festival. She might be there. You know … being musical stuff going on and all. You keep an eye on the girls for me. And I'll see you Sunday night." Chloe leaned forward and kissed Amy on the cheek and the Aussie wrapped her arms around her and pulled her in for a hug.

"Take care. And get Becarama back home as soon as yoos can. Place ain't the same without the oversized door stop." Amy said as she wandered off to the bathroom as Chloe knocked softly on Aubrey's door.

"Yes? Come in." The muffled reply came from behind the door. Chloe pushed open the door and was surprised to see Aubrey throwing things into a small bag. Chloe placed her bag at her feet as she spoke, a long of confusion clearly etched on her face.

"Bree? What are you doing …?"

"Coming with you. Don't question it. Don't say anything. You are right. I'll book a ticket when we get to the airport. Now, come on before I change my mind."

Chloe stood for a moment before entering Aubrey's room, almost tripping up over her bag as she flung her arms around her best friend. Aubrey, nearly bowled over by Chloe's exuberance, just smiled as she embraced Chloe, understanding finally what Chloe was trying to do, knowing that Chloe would do anything in her power to help Beca, or herself or in fact anyone Chloe knew if they needed her help. Everyone needed a Chloe in their lives, whether they knew it or not. She zipped up her bag with a flourish.

Minutes later, they were walking out of their front door, towards Aubrey's dark blue Cadillac, a gift from her father for her 21st birthday. Aubrey slipped into the driver's seat after throwing her weekend bag on the back seat. Chloe placed her own bag by her feet as she slid into the passenger seat. As Aubrey put the car into drive, Chloe placed her hand over Aubrey's, wordlessly thanking her. Aubrey swallowed deeply, nervously drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, quelling the queasiness in her stomach.

They drove to the airport in silence, Chloe spending the time with her eyes closed, head resting on the window, running through the scenarios in her head. She couldn't really fathom why she was so intent on getting Beca back but there was just something about Beca Mitchell that tugged at Chloe's heartstrings and Chloe tried to think what it was.

Why hadn't Beca gotten in touch? Okay, she had left her phone behind but she must have known that someone would have kept an eye on it and she would have remembered her own number. Aubrey and Chloe had kept Beca's phone permanently plugged in at their apartment. They had taken and stored most of Beca's things at their apartment. To keep them safe after they had cleared out the dorm room she shared with Kimmy Jin. To keep her as close by as possible.

Arriving at the airport some twenty minutes later, Aubrey quickly pulled into a parking space, switched the engine off and shook Chloe's shoulder to stir her, as she could see she had fallen asleep on the window, if the open mouth and dribble was anything to go by. She knew her redheaded friend was exhausted and was extra glad that she had decided to buck up her ideas and come along for the weekend. Her chores could wait, they weren't that desperately important.

Alighting from the car, the two girls walked to the terminal. Chloe, already having purchased her ticket, dragged her feet towards the various coffee shops littering the right hand side of the terminal, desperate for a coffee and a snack as the lack of sleep was clearly taking its toll on her. She joined the short queue, spying the muffins that she knew Aubrey would like.

Meanwhile Aubrey went to the Southwest desk to purchase a ticket for the same flight as Chloe. There were only three people in front of her but Aubrey's fingers tensed around her overnight bag as she waited in line. There was only an hour to go before the flight departed but being Aubrey, she didn't like to leave everything to the last minute.

She had just approached the desk when she heard a familiar shriek to her right. Spinning her head in time to see Chloe running full pelt across the terminal towards her, dropping her hoodie in her effort to reach Aubrey before she purchased the flight ticket. Everyone in the vicinity turning to look at the red head.

"AUBREY! STOP!" Chloe screamed as she bundled into her blonde friend at top speed, not slowing down on her approach. Aubrey let out a huff as she stiffened and straightened herself, looking into Chloe's wide, panic stricken eyes.

"Chloe? For serious, what the aca-hell are you doing. Are you out of your mind or -"

"- AUBREY! NoMemphisweneedtogotoVegas. Go. Now. Now! Look!" Chloe puffed as she showed Aubrey her phone.


	3. Jesse's Girl

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Three - Jesse's Girl .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Jesse Swanson unwound his arm from around the brown haired woman he was currently sitting next to on the bench overlooking the small duck pond on the north park, close by to campus. He bent down to tie his shoelace.

It was a warm day, the sun relentless and the clouds that were usually spotted in September were non-existent. Jesse absentmindedly picked at the grass by his feet, holding the long, green blades between his fingers before mashing them together and rolling them into a ball. He sighed as he tossed the grass aside, leaning back heavily on the wooden bench, lost deep in his own thoughts.

The couple had met at the campus coffee shop a couple of hours ago and decided to take a walk to the park. Jesse turned his face to the sun, hungrily soaking up the heat and the goodness. He looked over at his newly acquired girlfriend who was rubbing sunscreen onto her pale skin. They had been dating for five weeks but Jesse was quite smitten with her. It still felt a bit new, and he felt slightly out of place with her, but he was trying.

She replaced the cap back on the sunscreen and turned to look at him, surprised to see such an intense look on his face.

"You okay there Jesse?" Elena asked, trying to get a read on his face. She was quite used to his moments where he stared off into space. Jesse was in his own little world, his emotions conflicting all over the place.

**.o0o.**

Accepting that Beca had just up and left him was one of the hardest things that Jesse had had to do in all of his twenty years. He got it; she didn't love him. He had seen the look of complete shock and horror on her face when, at her 19th birthday party, he thought it would be incredibly funny to get down on one knee to present her with her birthday gift. He'd had many things planned for the next day which included a trip to a recording studio and an afternoon at a petting zoo before a fancy dinner. He doesn't know what possessed him to get down on one knee. He thought she would have thought it funny to open the box he held towards her. He thought she would see the joke and laugh with him when she saw that it was only a pair of black musical note earrings, a comedic gift he had found just to mess with her head.

He thought he had known her better than that.

He honestly thought that with her sense of humour, she would have guffawed at him before calling him a weirdo and told him to get up. He didn't expect her to run from the room, with tears streaming down her face. To him, she had been acting weird since they first slept together. He knew it hadn't been the greatest of nights and he had been too drunk that night to have been at his best but he had hoped for a repeat performance to show her some of his moves. And he did know how to show a girl a good time. He did. But Beca had refused to talk about it, couldn't meet his eye for a week and found a lot of excuses not to be alone with him for a while. She was happy to spend time with him, but didn't want to stay over in his dorm or have him stay in hers. There was always an excuse and Jesse worried for quite some time that she had hurt her. She assured him he hadn't, that she was tired or not feeling well. He had to accept her words and judging by the peaky look about her, he knew she was telling the truth.

After she had run out of the room in tear on the night of her party, Chloe and Aubrey had followed closely behind her. He had slowly stood from his position on the floor, fully understanding the back-firedyness of his plan. He had risen awkwardly to hear soft murmurings and he had felt Donald's hand on his back as he leaned down and spoke into his ear.

"Dude. Embarrassment later. Go after her."

Jesse crossed the dance floor, fully aware of all eyes on him as he paused for a moment, intending to address the group and explain about the earrings being a joke, but realising that explaining it to Beca was far more urgent. He didn't care about anyone else. He'd fallen in love with Beca and had done something terrible to upset her. He couldn't fathom whether he had come on too strong, not done enough or had offended her in some way but all he knew was that he had to make it right.

He had left quickly after that, half running out of the door. He had looked left and right up the street but couldn't see or hear Beca. Knowing he had freaked her out, he cussed at himself for being so stupid. He had worked tirelessly to win over Beca and get her to break down some of her walls. And yes, the last month had been a bit weird with her being a little closed off to him and the past couple of days, she had all but ignored him, but he did love her. And he had needed to talk to her to find out what was going on.

He turned left and walked up the street to the crossroads, crossing over and heading back towards Barden University. As he approached the left hand side of the drama theatre, he could hear raised voices and followed the sounds. As he turned the corner, he immediately saw Beca pull away from Chloe's grasp on her wrists and run towards him. Beca hit him with a soft 'ooomph' and he saw the desperately sad look in her eye.

"Jesse ..." She said, suddenly looking very afraid.

"Becs, listen, we need to talk." He said, trying to grasp her shoulders so she'd have to look into his eyes and see that he was sincere.

"NO JESSE! I can't right now. This has all gone wrong. You've made a mistake in loving me. I'll ruin your life. This has got out of hand. I can't be who you want me to be. I'm a terrible person. Please leave me alone." Beca yelled, pushing him wildly away with her hands. She looked like a baby deer caught in the headlights of a fast moving car.

Jesse attempted to grab at her wrists, which was a big mistake. Beca pushed him harder this time and yelled as she ran away.

"I don't love you Jesse. Fuck this. Fuck you!"

She took off, running away as fast as she could. Jesse blanched at the words as he looked over to Chloe and Aubrey, who stood a few feet away watching the altercation. Chloe moved towards him as if to talk to him but he didn't need her right now. He needed to speak to Beca to find out what the hell was going on.

He saw Beca at the crossroads and turned to run after her, ignore Chloe's desperate pleas behind him and Aubrey calling out his name. He picked up the pace as he saw her cross the road, picking up the pace surprisingly quickly as she passed the intersection and made her way into through the park that was opposite Barden.

He reached the intersection himself and began to cross over the road, so completely intent on reaching Beca before she ran away again, that he hadn't noticed the pedestrian sign was on red. He didn't even hear the beer truck as it rumbled down the road, or the girls shouting at him to get his attention. He didn't hear the horn of the truck until the last second when he stood, frozen in the middle of the intersection. He just focused on Beca as she disappeared into the small wooded area by the entrance to the park.

He only heard the hiss of the brakes as the front of the truck came within two feet of his face. He remained glued to the spot as the truck ploughed into his chest, knocking him flat to the ground. Looking back, he was thankful now that his head had collided with the hard floor and that he was knocked out instantly as the rest of the truck passed over him, leaving his flat, unconscious body intact.

He found out later that from witnesses and the scores of people who had spilled out of the community hall that Beca had screamed his name as the truck hit him, had run back over the road, dodging the traffic before collapsing on his body, feeling for a pulse in his neck, calling his name and begging him to open his eyes. In her blind panic and disorientation, she couldn't find it because his body had gone into shock and his pulse was weak. To the untrained expert, they would have felt nothing. He also discovered that Chloe and Aubrey had run over to him, Aubrey pulling out her phone to call for help as Chloe dragged Beca away from him, wrapping her arms around her hysterical friend. He also learnt that as they were waiting for the ambulance, Beca covered him with her jacket before backing away from the crowd, and running away. And never came back.

**.o0o.**

Jesse shuddered at the memory and forced himself to focus back on his new girlfriend who was cupping his cheek with her hand, wiping away the tears he hadn't felt leak from his eyes. She was looking at him in a way he couldn't quite stand.

"Sorry. Flashback. Urgh." He said as smiled up at her, grateful she was there despite his inner thoughts.

He had loved Beca with all his heart, he'd fallen for her in a huge way and he had wanted to make it right with her, but the fact that she had run from him, even when she had seen the accident happen, that didn't sit well with him and he was now just angry at her for running.

Okay, that was a small lie.

He wasn't angry, just disappointed and so very, very sad. He knew that Chloe was searching for her, firmly believing that she was in trouble but Jesse had moved on. Or that is what he told himself when he woke up every morning.

He had been in the hospital for just over a week with severe concussion and bruising to his ribs and chest. He'd missed his final exams but Barden had agreed to an extension if he had taken the summer study programme and met the criteria for the next semester. He had met Elena on the first day there, ignored the fact that she was an identikit but taller version of Beca and had taken a chance on getting to know her better.

They spent most days together. Elena was on the same course as Jesse, her love of movies even stronger than his. She knew about Beca having been a fan of a capella for a while and a Barden Bella support for a couple of years. Elena knew about the love he had bestowed on Beca before they broke up. He was honest about that and she gave him time to grieve for his first love before they became an official couple. Despite Beca still holding a special place in his heart, he had had to move on. He wished her well in his thoughts, hoping that she had managed to start a new life away from Barden and that she was happy.

Turning his attention back to the girl who was currently snuggled into his arm, he kissed the top of her head. Elena was perfect. She was happy-go-lucky, enjoyed the simple things in life, loved spending time with Jesse, they never argued, she never questioned him or challenged him, she laughed at all his jokes, he didn't even have to think about anything when she was around. She was beautiful, her eyes were sparkly and her smile was genuine. She didn't hound him or plague him to take her places or want anything more than he had to offer.

And he decided to remain thinking about the positives in Elena as he wrapped his arm back around her shoulders. It wasn't fair to keep thinking about Beca when Elena was around. He would save his thoughts for when he was on his own, as he usually did when he would yearn for Beca. She was the girl who did challenge him, did question him, made him fight for her affections, argued her point, made him feel alive, the girl who he loved with all of his heart and ...

Jesse shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had Elena now. Elena. Some people were surprised that he had appeared to have moved on from Beca so quickly, after spending a year chasing her. But Jesse needed to move on. He was about to suggest they move from their spot to get something to eat when the phone in his pocket started to vibrate. He pulled away from Elena for a moment as he reached to grab his phone.

He looked confused.

Why would Chloe be calling him now when they hadn't spoken in weeks?


	4. The Pregnant Pause

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Four - The Pregnant Pause .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Beca woke up from as fretful sleep when the hunger pangs ravaged her tired, wan body. She was beyond exhausted, wanted to just close her eyes and never wake up. She'd lost so much weight and she didn't have a lot to spare in the first place. Her cheeks were hollow and her arms, hands and fingers were now so thin, the thumb ring she wore, a gift from Chloe, slid off whenever she washed her hands.

She lay under the blankets shivering.

She heard car doors slamming outside and knew that it was Saturday. Things sounded different on a weekend; there were less cars on the road and the usual rush to leave the motel rooms between 7am and 8am didn't happen. Every day seemed exactly the same to her these days but there was something different about that day. Some random dumb shit had spent the last hour shouting at a dustbin across the parking lot outside for some unfathomable reason.

She pulled the blankets closer and willed herself back to sleep, anything to ignore the fact that she hadn't eaten anything substantial for four days. She had just $12 left out of her money and after that ran out; she didn't know what she was going to do. And if truth be told, she didn't have the energy to worry anymore. She had no other options. She wanted to give up.

She had tried to find work when she had first arrived in the area but she had been so sick for weeks that the one job she had been offered refused to let her start after she turned up two hours late on her first day. She didn't blame them; they were just trying to run a business. Without any ID, she struggled to get people to entertain the idea of employing her and she didn't own any decent clothes for work. Jobs were scarce as all the students in the local area flooded the city looking for work over the summer.

She had no experience to fall back on. She had pawned her expensive ring and her bracelet in order to eat. The rent was paid for another two days but after Monday, she was going to be on the streets. Having no phone meant she had no numbers to call anyone, one of the guilty few who had never committed a number to memory, relying on technology to do it for her. She had reasoned to herself that even if she had her phone, she didn't know who she was going to call. Her first thoughts had been Chloe but she was so sure by now, convincing herself after living on her own for three months, that her former best friend hated her and she didn't want Chloe to have to choose between calling the police on Beca and helping her friend get back home.

Knowing her phone was probably disconnected by now as she hadn't paid a bill in months, she didn't even bother to ring it. Didn't want to waste the dollar on a phone call. After all this time, she figured people had moved on, maybe not even noticed that she had gone and most certainty didn't want to see her after what she had done to them.

She had rudely just left everyone. And Beca knew that what she had done was unacceptable. She thought about Chloe the most out of everyone she had left behind. Thinking of Jesse saddened her too much. The look on her face as she had torn herself out of Chloe's grasp on the night of her birthday ... it still ached Beca to her core. Her eyes glazed over slightly as she thought back to her birthday again.

**.o0o.**

The day of her birthday had started like any other Saturday. She had woken in the morning in her dorm, Kimmy-Jin noticeably absent so that was the first treat of the day and had looked outside to glorious weather and a plethora of messages from her friends on her phone. She had looked over to her clock noting it was already past 9am.

She remembered feeling a bit queasy but then Chloe had cooked dinner on Friday night (borrowing the chemistry lab's Bunsen burners was possibly not one of Chloe's finest ideas) and cooking was one thing that Chloe wasn't actually very good at. They had sat up until the small hours, listened to some music and talked until Chloe fell asleep, cuddled up tightly into Beca's side. She had tried to leave Chloe's room quietly but had tripped over a big pile of air and fallen onto the small table by the door. Despite Chloe's protests that she shouldn't wake up on her birthday alone, Beca had wanted a good night's sleep in her own bed. She had half expected Jesse to be there, waiting at her dorm door but then she hadn't exactly let him know she was going to be at Chloe's and he was probably a little pissed about that.

She had slipped out of bed, padded over to her closet and pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a bright red button down shirt, collected her shower things and headed to the bathroom for a shower. She was back in her dorm before 9.30am to dry her hair and put on her make up.

The red whirlwind arrived a few minutes later, letting herself into Beca's dorm with enough gusto for ten people, she was full of excitement about it being Beca's birthday and laden down with homemade fudge and gifts.

"Did you make this?" Beca had asked cautiously as she accepted the piece the fudge currently being ground into her mouth.

"No, Bree did. Why do you ask?" Chloe had laughed, her giggle mischievous.

"No reason!" Beca said as she laughed and chewed the delicious sweet, wondering where Aubrey had made the fudge, seeing as they didn't have cooking facilities in the dorms. But as she was Aubrey Posen, who was to question anything about her. That was the one thing Beca had learned to do.

"Happy Birthday Beca!" Chloe squealed as she wrapped her entire body around Beca's almost knocking her to the floor. "I love you so much!"

"Thanks!" Beca had said, feeling warmth spread through her as she received the overly exuberant hug. She has quickly suggested they leave the dorm room, hoping that being outside might dilute Chloe's enthusiasm. Meeting up with the Bellas for breakfast before she had gone over to her father's for lunch, taking Jesse with her. Even Shelia was friendlier than usual as they chatted casually in the kitchen while her dad and her boyfriend where in the den, discussing sports.

Beca had felt a pang of guilt in her gut as she knew Jesse knew nothing about sports, except what he had picked up from his beloved movies and it was her dad's favourite pastime. She had wanted to spend the time with her dad, which surprised her. He was leaving Barden for a few months, participating in a professor 'job swap' with a fellow academic from Durham, in the north of England and she wanted to spend time with him before he left.

Around 3.30 pm, Beca had left Jesse back at his dorm after he had driven them home and she had uncharacteristically hurried over to Chloe's place for the afternoon. Aubrey had joined them and one by one, the other Bella's had turned up, crowding into Chloe's small room where Amy took it upon herself to entertain them all with her antics.

Beca hadn't noticed Aubrey and Chloe slip out at around 6 pm due to Amy's persistence of playing naked twister. It had taken them most of the afternoon to convince her that it really wasn't a good idea. It was an hour later when Amy picked her up off the floor and threw her over her shoulder before bundling her out of the door that she realised Chloe hadn't come to her rescue and that she was missing. Beca was terrified that Amy was going to force her to play strip poker or such like but she didn't really have time to think about it as she was taken outside of the building, and thrown into the back of Amy's camper van. She sat rubbing her elbow as the others clambered in and she soon began demanding answers as to what was going on.

Two minutes and a dozen unanswered questions later, Amy pulled up against the kerb, jumped out and flung open the van door announcing with vigour that they had arrived. It was only then that Beca realised that all of her friends had organised a secret party for her birthday and upon understanding who had been the leader of that particular planning party, she pulled Chloe in for a hug before the redhead could say anything. Aubrey, upon admonishment, had protested that everyone was extremely grateful and happy that they had won the ICCA's and that this was the least they could do for her.

**.o0o.**

Beca was close to drifting off again when there was a knock at the motel room door.

"Housekeeping."

Beca grumbled and was about to throw the blankets off to open to the door and say no thank you when the key was thrust into the lock and the door was quietly pushed open. The housekeeper, Maggie, was about to walk into the room when she noticed Beca's form still in bed.

"Oh, I am sorry ma'am. I didn't know -"

"-No, it's fine. I didn't say anything. If you can give me a second, I'll leave and let you do what you need to do." Beca interrupted, swinging her legs over the side of the bed, reaching for her jeans.

She took a moment to steady herself as she stood up; her knees almost buckling underneath her.

"Ma'am; I don't mean to pry none but is you all okays over in here?" Maggie asked as she nudged the cart against the door, turning her back for a second while Beca slipped into her jeans. "I don'ts mean to be rudes at all, but you've been here for months and I've only seen you leaves the rooms like twice before. Are you okays?"

"I'm fine. Thank you." Beca said, not really understanding the sincerity in the housekeepers' voice. She really did just want to be left all alone.

Beca had seen her a lot in the past few weeks as she had knocked three times a week and usually Beca just asked for soap, toilet paper or perhaps a packet of complimentary cookies. That would be her usual meal for the day and she'd eat them slowly to make them last.

"Okays ma'am." Maggie said, watching as Beca shakily made her way to the door. Beca felt woozy and wobbly but she made it out to the fresh air in one piece and sat on the kerb outside her room, tucking her legs underneath herself and folding her hands into her lap. She leaned against the porch post and closed her eyes, drinking in the morning sun. The fresh air was good after the confines of her room.

Despite living in the same clothes for weeks, Beca made sure they were kept clean and tidy so she didn't draw attention to herself but she knew she must look a sight. She washed everything in the tub and only wore the clothes when she had to leave the room. She subconsciously twisted the ring on her middle finger of her right hand, a gift from Chloe. God, she missed Chloe.

Maggie busied herself in the room, changing the sheets and towels, wiping over the surfaces and emptying the trash. As usual, she just saw the single cookie wrapper in the bin and sighed. The girl sitting on the kerb outside was so much younger than her own children were and it was so obvious to her that she was in trouble. Noting that the room was spotless again, she pushed her cart outside and turned towards the girl.

"Ma'am, I'm done." Maggie paused for a moment or two to look at the strikingly beautiful girl, resting against the porch post with her eyes closed. "Excuse me? Ma'am?"

For reasons unknown, Maggie reached her hand down to touch Beca's shoulder. Beca didn't move at first but as Maggie shook her shoulder gently, Beca ever so slowly slipped down the post until she was flat on the floor, ending up in a neat mess at the bottom. Maggie knew she had fainted as she bent down to place a warm hand on Beca's forehead.

Beca was stone cold.

And very pale.

Maggie knitted her eyebrows for a moment and took in Beca's appearance; the hollowness in her cheeks, the outline of her ribs showing through her thin shirt, the tiny arms, and her baggy skinny jeans. She noted that the top couple of buttons of her jeans were undone and she could make out the unmistakable hint of a baby belly underneath.

"Oh young 'un. You are in a pickle." She said to Beca and leant further forward to scoop up the girl in her arms. Not caring about a possible lawsuit, Maggie didn't worry about things like that, she carefully picked up the young girl, noting she was hardly any weight at all and carried her back into the motel room, laid her gently down on the bed and teased Beca onto her side, pulling a pillow from the newly made and placing it under Beca's head. She quickly walked across the room, into the bathroom, filled a plastic cup with water and ran a wash cloth under the cold tap.

She stepped back into the room and moved swiftly to the bed, sinking to her knees before the still form of the young girl on the bed. Maggie had been in Beca's situation, had been a teenage mother, possibly knew what was going through the young girl's mind. She pressed the cool, damp cloth to Beca's forehead and noted, with relief, that she seemed to be coming around.

"It's okays ma'am. I gots you. Sssh. Sssh." Maggie unconsciously rubbed the small of Beca's back lovingly, treating her as she would one of her own children. She watched as Beca's eyes flickered open and looked straight at her.

Beca flinched at the proximity of the stranger in front of her and rolled over to create a space between them. Having been without a human touch for so long, all of Beca's walls where firmly up and reinforced with steel. She didn't want to appear rude to the friendly, concerned face, inches away from her own but she certainly did not want to be within breathing distance of someone who she had just met.

"Um ..." Beca gulped. "What ... what happened?"

"You passed out ma'am. On the street outside. Thought it best you be in here out of harm's way."

"Oh."

"I'll call 911 ma'am. Just wait a moment." Maggie said, reaching towards her pocket for her phone.

"No! Please don't. I'm fine. I'm just ..." Beca started as she began to sit up. The familiar weariness flooded her entire body and she lay back down again.

"You ain't fine ma'am."

"Really, I am. I'm just tired. Been working hard. You know? Thank you for your concern though. I appreciate it."

"Ma'am ..." Maggie began.

"It's Beca."

"Pardon?" Maggie said, confused.

"My name. It's Beca. Ma'am sounds weird."

"Well, okays then Beca. I'm Maggie. Maggie Emerson." She said as she handed the cup of water to Beca, who took it, nodded silently, thanking her with her steely blue eyes. Noting to herself that she wasn't trying to bolt out of the door, Beca knew some of Chloe's life and love lessons had ironically rubbed off on her.

"Well, now we are past the first names stage, you wants to tell me what's up with you? Cos I know it ain't work that made you pass out."

"I'm fine ... really." Beca said, placing the now empty cup of water on the bed, before beginning to sit up again. "I just got up too quick."

"Beca ... sugar ..."

"Really, I am okay." Beca said insistently, scooting to the end of the bed to stand. Maggie, who had remained on her knees the whole time, stood at the same time, catching Beca as she began to sway as soon as she was upright.

"Listen Beca, I haves myself four young 'un's. I can tells when things are not right. Please trust me. I can help you." Maggie said as she looped a strong arm around Beca's waist.

For the first time in months, Beca felt her resolve slip a little as she leaned into Maggie. Her legs were so wobbly and her stomach was lurching and grumbling through lack of food. It was so loud that she was sure that Maggie had heard it, despite her new friend's obvious attempts to ignore it.

"Sits." Maggie said, pushing her back onto the bed. "My shift is over. Yours is always my last room. I have no places else to be. So let me be your friend and you can tell me what's troubling that young mind of yours."

Beca sighed and ran her fingers through her hair as she leant back on her elbows. She noticed that the top buttons of her jeans were undone and her shirt had ridden up, exposing her small rounded belly. She reached to pull her shirt down over her stomach. Maggie noticed her do it but didn't comment. Beca's stomach growled again. Maggie looked at Beca properly, taking in her pale colour and wan look.

"How long was it since you ate something?" She asked kindly. Beca flinched and was about to lie when her dogged determination crumbled even further and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Stay here. I've got my lunch in the office. I've gots plenty. We'll share it while you tell me your story. No protestings." Maggie finished as she watched Beca's mouth fly open to offer an objection. "Please stay here while I fetch my basket."

Beca nodded, her eyes darting to the door as she felt sheer humiliation run through her. Maggie sighed.

"Looks, I knows it nones of my business but you look like you need some company and all. Even if it's justs for a minute or two. So, I am going to get my lunch and share it with you and you can tell me what else's is bothering you if you wants to. Or we just sits."

Beca nodded, too weak to argue or complain. She had never realised how much her pregnancy had drained her. She had lost so much weight trying to keep the baby alive. It was strange that while everything around her had turned to shit, the baby inside her had clung onto life.

Maggie squeezed her arm, glided off the end of the bed and walked to the door, closing it quietly behind her. Her heart was breaking but she would do what she could to help her new friend. Pushing her cart, she walked swiftly across the parking lot to the reception lobby. She deposited her housekeeping cart outside, pushed open the door and entered the cool interior.

"That you Maggie?" Called the voice from the tiny bathroom off to the left of the reception.

"Yes Pete." Maggie called back. "I'm gonna takes ma break early, if that's okays with you."

"Whatever. Just check the emails before you go."

Maggie didn't mind Pete's bluntness. They had worked together for twenty one years at the same motel, Pete being the owner and Maggie the housekeeper. He had been the only person to offer her a job when she had spent days traipsing around all the hotels on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Her daughter was just over a year old but Pete didn't seem to mind about her, as long as the job was done.

He did take notice that she was just sixteen and felt a fatherly concern wash over him. He offered her a room for a few weeks while she got settled and gave her away at her wedding six years later; the two having become fast friends. Since then, she had three more children and only took a month off with each one before coming back to work. He didn't care that she more often than not brought the children with her. The job got done each day so he had no complains about anything. He wasn't running the Ritz.

Maggie moved around the lobby to the other side of the reception desk. She sat on the scruffy chair and pulled herself towards the desk. She wiggled the mouse and the computer screen came to life. There were only a couple of unread emails in the inbox and those were both junk mail. She deleted them both and was just about to close the inbox down when she noticed that Pete had opened an email earlier and had forgotten to close it. She clicked on the email and was about to press the red cross at the top when she caught the title of the email.

_"Looking For My Friend – Please Help Us Find Beca Mitchell."_

_Curiosity getting the better of her, she scrolled through the first few lines of the email before she saw a picture attached at the bottom of the message. The girl looked similar to the Beca in room 9. Surprise pausing her movements for a while, she read the message in full._

_Dear Hotel Owner, Customer Service Manager, Friend,_

_Please take a moment to read my message and help me find my best friend, Beca Mitchell. Beca is nineteen years old and is a student at Barden University, here in Atlanta, Georgia. After a surprise birthday party, she witnessed a tragic accident, which she believes was her fault, causing the death of her boyfriend. She left, thinking she was responsible but he wasn't killed, just badly hurt (he has since recovered and is doing very well)._

_We have been looking for Beca for months and we just want to know she is safe. We need her to know she is loved and very much missed by her friends and her family._

_Beca left with nothing. No money, save for a few dollars in her pocket, no phone, no clothes. Beca is a warm, loving, friendly person who is so important to us all but is probably so frightened and alone right now, she won't let you see any of the qualities she possesses. She is a runner (although she has never strayed this far from home before) so please don't be surprised if she takes off if you approach her. It's just her way of coping. She may be surly. She won't bite._

_I am emailing all of the hotels in your area in the hope that you have seen my friend, Beca Mitchell. I enclose a copy of the most recent picture of her. On the day she left, she was wearing a red shirt and black skinny jeans. She has lots of ear piercings and a few tattoos._

_I do understand that this email may make you uncomfortable but all I ask is if you have seen her, is to let me know. My contact details are below. If you don't want to tell us exactly where she is, just point us in the right direction of what city she is in, and my friends and I will come and find her ourselves. I thank you, wholeheartedly, for taking the time to read through my email._

_God bless you._

_Chloe Beale_

_xoxoxoxoxo_

As Maggie studied the photograph again, she was convinced that the girl in the picture was the same girl who was currently waiting for her back in her motel room. As she thought for a moment on what she should do, she noticed that the email had been replied to. She clicked on the sent items and saw that Pete had sent a reply to Chloe Beale. She chuckled as she saw Pete's brief email.

Bird in room 9 at the Whole Year Inn, Las Vegas looks like your friend. It's off Blake Road. Has lots of ear decorations. Quite fit. Nice tits. Shouldn't be out here alone though. She's here until Monday, if you want to get her.

A chill ran through Maggie as she thought about Beca. Maybe she didn't want to be found. She wasn't cross at Pete, but he really shouldn't have given away her location. This whole thing might have been a hoax? Who was to say that Beca hadn't left home due to a violent home life? Just because the email said it was from a friend, didn't necessarily mean it was.

But then, she also knew that she watched far too many crime shows on television, listened to too many conspiracy theories. So Maggie jotted down the number on the email, fully intending to put it into her phone and call this Chloe Beale when she was at home later.

Closing down the emails, she rose from the threadbare chair and stretched for a moment, pondering on what to do. Beca's life was nothing to do with her and she barely knew her. She remembered the task at hand and stepped into the small storage room behind the reception desk, picking up a thermos of soup and her lunch basket filled with goodies. She shouted to Pete that she was going and left the lobby. Crossing the car park, she quickly made her way back to Beca's room, knocking softly on the door when she arrived.

There was no answer.

Maggie pressed her ear to the door, listening for any sounds from within the room. She should have anticipated that Beca might just run and after reading her friends email, felt stupid. She knocked softly again and waited. She was about to leave when the door opened a crack and there was Beca, blinking at the bright sunshine.

Maggie pushed open the door and entered the room as Beca crossed to sit back on the bed, clasping her hands around her knees, hugging them to her chest. Maggie pulled the chair that was by the small table towards the bed and placed her lunch items next to Beca before sitting.

"Eats." She said simply. Beca looked down at the items that Maggie had left by her side and felt guilty. There wasn't much there and Beca was horrified at the thought of taking someone else's lunch.

"Come on. It's okays. You needs to eats." Maggie repeated, sensing the hesitation in Beca. She stood, moved over to her basket, unloading it quickly. She took out some cheese, ham, grapes, crackers and cookies and laid it out on the bed.

"I've always run." Beca said, hugging her knees tighter to her chest, as she watched Maggie for a moment. "I've done some dreadful things in my life. I've made some terrible mistakes. People have been hurt because of me."

"Oh sugar, I don't think ..." Maggie paused, not meaning to interrupt the girls' story but not wanting to tell her about the email. She shoved some crackers in Beca's hand instead.

"I'm from Atlanta. Well, originally, I'm from Maine. I lived there with my mother. We ..." Beca began, not really sure where all of the words were coming from. "... but I was at University in Atlanta. Last year was my freshman year. I made a lot of friends. Some really good friends ..."

She trailed off as her thoughts ran amok in her memory. Beca picked at a couple of grapes. Maggie just waited, watching her face.

"I did some terrible things to them. I got someone ... killed. It was an accident but it was my fault. He was running to catch up with me. He got killed by a truck ... I couldn't find a pulse ... I loved him. And he is dead because of me. So I ran ... I couldn't stay. My friends tried to make me wait but I ran. I ran to the bus station. I bought a ticket to Los Angeles. I got the bus. Had to sit next to this really smelly kid ... he fidgeted for most of the way. I couldn't sleep. I felt so sick. I was three days on the bus. Aiming for LA. We stopped off at the bus depot in downtown Vegas to transfer to another bus and I knew there were a couple of hours before we were due to leave. I needed to get some sleep so I lay down on a bench ... I didn't wake up for 9 hours. The bus had gone without me. I couldn't transfer my ticket and I couldn't justify spending any more money on getting to LA. I am not stupid enough to hitchhike. So I found this place. Paid my rent up front. And I hid. Like the coward I am. I don't want anyone to know I am here. I've got things I need to sort out. I just haven't had the energy to sort them out."

As Beca finished her story, she idly picked at the rest of the food that Maggie had pushed into her hands as she spoke.

"How far along are you?" Maggie asked quietly.

"Sorry?"

"How many weeks?" Maggie asked again as Beca's face flamed. Beca thought she had hidden it well.

"I don't know exactly. Jesse ... my ... my ... the guy I got ... killed ... he and ... we erm ..." Beca faltered, not knowing what to say.

Maggie reached out her hand to hold Beca's and just waited for her to continue. It took Beca fifteen minutes before she could speak again.

"I guess, I'm about four months along." Beca sighed as her honest words filled the room. "I didn't know for a while. Or I think I didn't want to admit it to myself. I don't want anyone else to know. It's ironic. My friends would laugh if they knew. I'd be the last person on Earth they'd imagine to be pregnant. It was a drunken night. We made mistakes. But I can't tell anyone. I can't be happy. I thought if I ignored the queasiness, the dizziness, it wouldn't be true ... but if I'm honest, I've always known. Since I was only a couple of weeks gone. Scratch that, I think I knew the next morning it had happened."

"We always know." Maggie chuckled softly.

A million thoughts were running through Maggie's head as she spoke, wondering whether she should tell Beca about the email from her friend Chloe Beale. She clearly didn't want to be in contact with anyone. Not knowing if she was doing the right thing, she looked at Beca.

"I knows you are here for another couple of days and I knows you haven't been eatings all that well. So I am guessing you have limited money. I'm going to offer you a solution until you knows what you wants to do. You can come home with me for a while. No arguments. It's just temporary. We have the space. You need some time. You need to get well. You need to see a doctor. And I will help you."

Beca felt overwhelmed. And uncomfortable. She realised that she had just spilled her guts out to a complete stranger. A stranger who was now offering her a place to stay for a few days. Beca couldn't understand why someone would do that. She finished chewing her mouthful before opening her mouth to speak.

"I really can't. I'll figure something out. I really thank you for this food. I am grateful. Really grateful. But I don't know you. You don't know me. I'm fucked up. I've let people down. I've ruined everything. "

"Sugar, I'd likes to think someone would take care of my girls if I wasn't there. It's a genuine offer. I can'ts leaves you here all by yourself. Come and stays for a couple of days. Eat some good foods. Rest properly. Call people."

"I don't want to call anyone." Beca almost whined but she could feel her resolve slipping. The thought of warm food and comfort sounded pretty good right now. She had nothing to lose, literally nothing. "Can I think about it? Let you know tomorrow?"

"You can sugar. Just don't run outs on me."

Beca laughed for the first time in months and actually felt like she had made a friend.

"I won't. I've got nowhere else to go."

"Well, okays then!"

Maggie left her with the remainder of her lunch as she went home for the day. She had all but tucked Beca in to bed as she left. She pulled out her phone as she walked across the road to her car. Calling her husband, Trey, first she let him know that they were having a guest stay with them for a few days. He was absolutely fine with it, knowing his wife's need to help people out. As a car mechanic with his own garage, as well as a 24 hour call out auto repair/retrieval guy, he was not at home much in the evening so it would hardly affect him.

After her conversation with her husband, Maggie called her local doctor on her private number, pleased as always that they had known each other since they were children, and booked Beca an appointment for Monday morning. Maggie had a little cash saved up from some overtime and that would pay for the appointment. As she drove out of the parking lot, she didn't feel a pang of guilt for not telling Beca that her friends were looking for her and that her boyfriend was still alive. That could come later, if that was what Beca wanted to hear.

Beca watched Maggie leave the Whole Year Inn and felt so confused by all that had happened. Part of her wanted to run but she really had nowhere to go. The other part wanted to see where her bonding with Maggie would take her. She decided to wait until the next day to decide what to do.


	5. The Long And Winding Road

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Five - The Long And Winding Road .o0o.<strong>

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><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

"What do you MEAN that there are NO FLIGHTS to Vegas until TUESDAY?! This is VEGAS we are talking about here! VEGAS!" Aubrey authoritative tone barked out across the terminal, causing more than a dozen people to turn and look and for Chloe to take a step back, casting an eye to her left, looking for a place of safety, in case she needed to run from a vomit fountain.

"Right ... uh huh ... I see ... oh the convention." Aubrey continued, speaking into her phone with gusto, nodding her head as she listened. "There is always something, isn't there? ... well, yes, I guess so ... can you find anything at all? ... there is absolutely nothing? ... on any airline? ... to anywhere near Vegas? ... no, we are in Atlanta ... yes, the one in Georgia ... is there another? ... sorry ... yes ... I know it is a LONG way, that is why we wanted to FLY ... no, I did not mean ... okay, I apologise for my tone ... okay ... okay ... cost is not a problem ... no, we need to go today ... it is an emergency ... Tuesday is too late ... yes, we can fly to multiple cities to get there ... it is very important ... still would not get there until Tuesday ... okay, I understand ... erm, yes you can ... it's Aubrey Posen ... n ... no, no relation to General Posen ... yes ... erm, no thank you ... erm ... well, thank you for your help ... and I am sorry for my earlier attitude ... thank you ... yes ... goodbye."

Aubrey removed the phone from her ear and looked at it crossly. With her nostrils flaring, she cancelled the call with a huff and looked over at Chloe who was distractedly chewing on her lip as she skimmed through several airline websites on her trusty iPad. There was a different level of concentration on her face and one that only her closest friends would recognise. For all of Chloe's bubbliness, there was a secondary level to the red head. She had a dark, more serious side to her, usually only reserved for her complicated college work face, when one of her friends was in trouble or when she was annoyed with Tom.

When she was worried, she chewed her bottom lip.

As Chloe concentrated on the twelve websites she was currently on, as well as the four new apps she had downloading especially for looking at flights, she was well aware at this precise moment in time, as Aubrey finished her phone call that the flight that she should have been on to Memphis had just taken off.

Chloe over analysed everything. Like a chess player, she processed ten moves ahead, working out all scenarios she could think of. To the average person, it may take them several minutes, perhaps with the help of a notepad but to Chloe, it only took mere seconds. Aubrey knew the look and she wondered what Chloe had found.

"Anything?" Aubrey asked as she drew up alongside her friend, nudging her arm to bring Chloe back to the moment.

"Yes hello, just a milkshake please. Oh, um, sorry! No, there's nothing Bree. Therein lays the problem. The convention in Vegas this weekend is huge, which is why I was going to go next weekend, rather than this one." Chloe said, closing her iPad to give Aubrey her full attention.

"How sure are you that this person thinks it was Beca he or she saw?" Aubrey asked, after a minute of silence, lowering and softening her voice.

"You saw the note, read what I read. I just don't know Bree. I've got a feeling. But I just don't know. I mean it is Las Vegas. Why would she be out there?"

"Has Beca got any family in Vegas?"

"I don't think so. What's left of her family are in Maine after her Mom passed away. Her Dad's in England at the moment. I still can't believe he left like that when she was missing."

"He explained that Chloe. He knew Beca would not come to him and Dr Mitch -"

"No excuse. She is his only daughter! And she is missing. How could he not be scouring the country looking for her? Putting in the time and money himself? I have absolutely no problem whatsoever doing whatever this is that I am doing but ..." Chloe paused briefly as a little sob broke through her speech. "... where is her Dad's head in all this? Where are his priorities?"

"Chloe, sweetheart ..." Aubrey began, lessening the space between them with a shuffle, before wrapping her arms gingerly around her friend, who so obviously needed human contact at that precise moment in time. "... not everyone has a Dad like yours. They cannot all be as wonderful as Papa Beale. You know that your Dad is extra special and would traipse to the ends of the Earth to bring you M&M's if you asked him to. I know you have said before that you did not have a lot of money growing up being the youngest of six children in your family but your Dad made sure he was at every recital, ball game or play that you and your brothers had. He was there every night for you, every weekend was spent with you, with Finn, Rafe, Parker, Zack and Eli ..." Aubrey counted Chloe's brothers name off on her fingers "... having fun, spending time together and doing stuff. Your Dad would walk across hot coals for you, being his baby and only daughter, but not all Dads are like yours. I get where Dr Mitchell is at here. My Dad bought me an $ 85,000 car for my birthday but did he actually take two minutes out of his day to call me and wish me Happy Birthday? No! But that is the way it is. I get the relationship that Beca has with her Dad, he loves her, of course he does but he will never be able to understand her, what she needs. So, he keeps busy and just waits for her to come back. Much like I was doing until this morning. Her Dad -"

"-We weren't talking about him; we were talking about Beca! Where did all that come from?!" Chloe asked.

"I am not really sure. What was I saying before?"

"Um ... family in Vegas."

"Of course."

"She's ... she's never mentioned Vegas, no. What's in Vegas for her? I'd have thought if anything, she'd of headed out to California. She would have gone to Los Ange -"

"-That is it!" Aubrey squealed, interrupting Chloe in mid flow. Chloe looked at Aubrey, comprehension dawning on her as she realised that Aubrey could be right. She had gone through all the places she thought Beca would run to but never once dreamed that Beca might actually have gone through with her original eighteen year old self's plan. "I bet she was on the way to Los Angeles. It is where she always planned to go until she met us, right?"

"Bree!"

Aubrey quietened for a moment, a plan forming in her brain, her eyes locked to the floor, to avoid the desperate look on Chloe's face. Chloe was champing at the bit to tell Aubrey but knew she needed to give her friend a moment to think she had thought of the plan first. Aubrey breathed through her ideas. She had to ask Chloe what Beca really meant to her before she told her of her plan. She knew Chloe better than Chloe thought she did but she still needed to ask.

"Chloe, sweetheart. What does Beca mean to you?" Aubrey began, softly.

"How do you mean?" Chloe knitted her eyebrows together for a moment.

"Do you love her?"

"Of course I do. She is my friend." Chloe answered without hesitation.

"No. I mean, are you going to be honest and admit to me that you love love her?"

"Aubrey? What are you trying to say?"

"Chloe, I have never seen you so passionate about anything or anyone before. You bullied me into accepting Beca into the Bella's last year. You fought against me when I reprimanded Beca. You stopped speaking to me for four days, which is a lifetime to you, when Beca and I argued after the Semi's. For serious Chloe, you sang into each other's eyes in the empty pool after she apologised and re-joined the Bella's before the Finals. She told Fat Amy that you were one of the main reasons for coming back and apologising to the Bella's. Your smile is brighter when Beca is around. You think more clearly when Beca is around. All the photographs in your room feature Beca. You are around her any chance you get. She actually looks happy around you. She makes you happy. Happier than Tom ever has. Or me. Or anyone else. You have given up the last three months to look for her; practically every weekend is spent flying to various places to look for her. You even started to rant about a man you hardly know a minute or two ago, and that is so unlike you. You do not have a cross word for anyone. You process everything at the speed of light. Yet, when it is matters of the heart, you act like an idiot. So, I am asking, what does Beca mean to you? Be honest!"

"I don't know." Chloe snapped, annoyed at Aubrey for calling her an idiot but suddenly feeling very weary. She turned apologetic eyes up to Aubrey.

"Be honest." Aubrey said, in the most gentlest of voices as she placed her hands on her best friend's shoulders.

"I ... I ... I'm ..." Chloe stuttered, thoughts racing through her mind. She was an intelligent girl and was able to process a dozen thoughts at once but this was complicated. Anything that involved feelings always was. There was no right or wrong. Was this what she had been hiding from herself for the past year? She closed her eyes and let the first thought pop into her head. She sighed as she spoke the truth. The truth she knew in her heart and in her head and had known for a long time. "I love her Bree."

"Good. What about Tom?"

"What about him?"

"What are you going to do about him? Are you going to dump him?"

"Oh my God. Are we really having this conversation right now?"

"Yes!"

"In the middle of the airport."

"Yep."

"Tom is my guy."

"And ...?" Aubrey pressed.

"And what? What do you want me to say here?"

"The truth."

"Tom is convenient. We've been together for four years. He's great, supportive, friendly, nice, good with -"

"-Do. You. Love. Him." Aubrey interrupted.

"Yes." Chloe said honestly.

"Are you in love with him?" Aubrey asked.

"No." Chloe said, surprising herself with her quick answer.

"Good, because he is a douche." Aubrey said quickly and ignored Chloe indignant face as she opened her mouth to protest. "But you love Beca."

"Yes."

"Do you think she loves you?"

"Not at all. She'd be here if she did."

"So someone freaks her out and she takes off for months because she loves Jesse after she thinks he proposes to her?"

"No. But I'm not sure why we are having this conversation, right here in the middle of the terminal. People are listening."

"Because." Aubrey began, lifting her hand to take Chloe's. "Because, if we are going to drive to Las Vegas right now, I want to make sure it is for a purpose."

"Drive? Are you insane? It's 2000 miles away. Courses start next week. We need to be back -"

"Yes and we will be."

"But drive? Are you insane?"

"A little! We will drive." Aubrey said as she straightened her already straight back, nodding her head to confirm.

"It's 2000 miles away." Chloe repeated. "It's almost across the entire country!"

"Yes. I know."

"It's 2000 miles!"

"What is your point Chloe?"

"It's across eight states, isn't it?"

"I guess so. Why?"

"Well, it will take us 36 hours of driving to get there, and that will just be sticking to the speed limits. Factor in traffic, road works, stopping for food, gas, rest stops and we are looking at anything between 36 to 42 hours. We can't hire a car as we aren't old enough."

"And? We will take my car. It is new, comfortable and has cruise control. We will take it in turns to drive. I will go first as you have hardly slept. We can sleep in the back seat while the other one drives. We can push the speed limit a little on occasion. And we will be there by tomorrow night if we leave right now." Aubrey said, looking at the Hermes watch on her right wrist.

"Bree? Are you mad?"

"Probably."

"We can't drive 2000 miles with just the two of us."

"No, you are right. We are going to need some back up." Aubrey said as she ran her finger over the screen of her phone, unlocking it before scrolling through her contacts.

"Aubrey?"

Aubrey lifted the phone to her ear, turning her back to Chloe for a moment.

"Aubrey?" Chloe repeated, clutching at her friend's arm.

"Hang on Chloe ... Amy? ... this is Aubrey Posen ... hello ... no ... we did not miss the flight ... Memphis is out ... why what? ... oh, we think Beca might be in Vegas ... no, I doubt very much that she is gambling ... no, I doubt she has become a Vegas Showgirl ... why? ... she's too short ... and alternative ... not the point ... there are no flights ... yes ... possibly ... no ... not until Tuesday ... we are going to drive ... Chloe and myself ... of course in my Cadillac ... please do not laugh ... Amy! ... stop laughing ... thank you ... fancy a road trip? ... yes, we need the extra driver ... 2000 miles ... yes, I know ... will you come? ... no, I am not kidding ... *sigh* ... there is no one else I trust with this that is why ... do not get all weird on me ... thank you ... just bring a change of clothes ... please go into my room and select a couple of items for me as well ... no, not that underwear ... how do you even know? ... urgh, I am so getting a lock on my door ... gross ... just normal please ... and the same for Chloe ... yes ... no, this 'shit' as you so eloquently put it is real ... we are leaving the airport now and we will pick you up on the way ... oh, please pack snacks ... no, you may not bring Bumper ... yes I am sure ... because he is an idiot ... and there is no more room in the car ... yes ... twenty seven minutes ... because it is twenty seven minutes not half an hour ... goodbye."

Aubrey turned back to Chloe, who stood with her mouth agape, as she ended the call with Amy.

"Aubrey? Are you for real?"

"Yes. You love the weirdo. We are going to get her back."

"But what about -"

"-No time to talk now. We will talk in the car. Let's go."

"Bree, I love you." Chloe said, as she launched herself into Aubrey and buried her head on her taller friends shoulder.

"I know you do. Now put me down so we can go ... Chloe? ... Do not nuzzle me ... Chloe? ... People are staring. No nuzzling. Chloe! ... Stop nuzzling!"


	6. To Be(ca) Or Not To Be(ca)

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Six - To Be(ca) Or Not To Be(ca) .o0o.<strong>

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><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Jesse sat with his phone in his hand for the longest time after he had gotten the call from Chloe. He wasn't sure how to take the news that for the first time in three months, someone had potentially identified Beca. He couldn't decide if he wanted to know, or not. Everything was so muddled.

_'Potentially.'_ He kept telling himself. _'It might not be her? But what if it was?'_

He had thought he wouldn't care. He had hoped that the day he got the call about her, and he had every faith that one day she would be found, or that she would return, that he'd be so madly in love with someone else. He couldn't decide if it would be Elena but there would be someone and maybe Beca would have someone too, that he wouldn't have to care anymore and just wish Beca well with life. He wanted to hate her. She had left him. Not just dumped him, which still wasn't okay but at least they could have tried to be friends after a fashion, and he would have tried his hardest to understand her reasons but she hadn't given him the chance. She had just ... gone.

Elena could sense the shift in his attention and while she wanted to be supportive and sympathetic, she was also slightly annoyed that, after all this time, the girl who had broken his heart was still managing to get under his skin. And that Beca wasn't even on the radar at this point in time. Jesse had briefly explained that Beca had taken off after a badly thought out joke which had gone wrong at her birthday party. Elena had thought it extremely strange and thought there was more to it at the time but chose not to press Jesse on this before. She did, however want answers after seeing his reaction to the latest phone call. She had heard most of the conversation on the phone, it was hard not to when the girl on the other end was practically squealing every word out.

"Jesse?" Elena asked him, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yes. *cough* Sorry, I'm here. I'm listening." Jesse said, rubbing his hand over his face. _'On the other hand, Beca isn't here. She might be in Vegas and I -'_

"-Who was that on the phone?"

"Chloe *cough* Chloe Beale."

"Chloe? Who is she?"

"She is the red head ... erm ... she is one of the Barden Bella's. You know the a cappella -"

"-Got it. The perky one?"

"Yep." Jesse didn't know what else to say so he settled on looking at his phone again.

"What did she say?"

"Oh. That girl I used to know, Beca, she might be in Las Vegas." He said as casually as he could. "Chloe thought I might like to know as I've been worried about her_." 'A lot, because I am completely and utterly head over heels in lo -'_

"Right." Elena said flatly.

Jesse's head snapped back up and looked at Elena, clearly hearing the tone in her voice and seeing something flicker across her face.

"Heeey." He said, letting go of his phone and taking one of her hands in his. Her hardened gaze softened at the simple action. "You are my girl. You know that, right?"

"I know Jesse, but she was ..."

"Yes, she was but not anymore. I'm so happy with you and the time we spend together. And I do mean that. You are my girl. I promise you that."

"Then why the face?"

"What face?"

"This melancholy, lost your winning lottery ticket, got bad news about your Grandma, no beer left at the party face you are currently sporting." Elena answered gently.

"No ... no face. I'm just confused."

"Why?" Elena asked.

Jesse sighed before he replied. He owed it to Elena to be honest with her but before he could do that he had to be honest with himself. He had a million thoughts running through his mind and had no idea where to start to process all of this.

Before she had taken off, Jesse would talk to Beca about everything and anything. He would talk; she would listen, offering some sobering advice when it was needed. He would ramble at her for hours, half the time he knew she wasn't really listening but he talked anyway as it helped him process. Saying that though, Beca would flick her eyes towards him when he said something random and off the cuff to her to see if she was paying attention so he knew she had heard him.

_'What do I want?'_ He thought.

That was the million dollar question. His mind raced through the thoughts. He could have Elena. She was here, ready for a committed relationship, ready for love, ready to make a go of it all with him. She was open and honest with her feelings. She loved him. She showed him she was there for him but above all Elena was happy. She enjoyed nights in, nights out, walks in the park, liked video games, loved movies and could cook. She would run her hands through his hair, laid a hand on his leg when they watched a movie together, would link fingers as they walked and held hands.

Jesse came from a loving family with two older brothers (Chris; a private airline pilot out of Nashville and Nate; a chef in Evansville ) and an older sister (Lucy; a newspaper research assistant based in St Louis) who would constantly be hugging, complimenting, touching, laughing and Jesse got the same from Elena. She was beautiful, with dark chestnut hair and deep brown eyes that reflected a soul that was worth getting to know, had a figure that drove him crazy with her flawless skin.

But she wasn't Beca.

And he still wanted to hate Beca. He wanted her to feel as bad as he did. He needed her to feel like shit, because that was how he felt and then he could feel good about making her feel like crap. Like he felt. And he thought about the last time they had laughed, before the ICCA finals, before they slept together, before all of this happened. And he couldn't decide what he felt anymore. All he knew was that he had loved Beca, always would and-.

"Do you still love her Jesse?" Elena pressed, snapping Jesse out of the pro Beca thoughts.

"No." Jesse gulped down the lie.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm over her. If I wasn't, I'd be on my way to Las Vegas. With Aubrey, Chloe and Amy. Right now. Or going on my own. I'm with you. Here. Now. What we have. It's good. It's real." Jesse spoke in short, clipped sentences to mask the choke he felt in his throat.

Elena tightened her hand around his. She pulled his hands towards her mouth and kissed each of his fingers. She didn't believe him but she could try and make him forget about her. She wasn't prepared to let him go without a fight. And she knew exactly what to do to make him stay put in his dorm room for the night.

"Come on, I've got an idea to take your mind of her. Head back to your dorm and I'll be up there in about five minutes."

Jesse nodded, even though he was barely listening. They stood together and she pecked his cheek before they parted, he turned left towards his dorm and she headed right towards the campus coffee shop and the gym. He wanted to be one hundred percent into Elena but something was holding him back and he was trying to push Beca out of his mind.

It had taken him weeks to let her go. Beca Mitchell had gotten under his skin. He felt on fire around her, especially when she grazed his arm while they talked. Food tasted better, especially when Beca cooked. Beer tasted more thirst quenching, especially when Beca shared one with him. College work was more entertaining, especially as Beca challenged his thoughts and made him question his theories. His singing was better, especially because he sang every word to Beca. Oxygen came more freely when she was around, Beca's smell was intoxicating. He felt more alive, because she was simply ... Beca.

He arrived back at his front door and after fumbling with the key for a few seconds, entered his dorm room. He crossed over to his closet door, which he had left open earlier and pulled out the sweater that Beca had left in his room about five months ago. Taking a deep breathe, he tried to smell Beca's scent and laughed into the fabric, thinking how much of a vampire did he feel right now, almost as if he were sniffing out his prey.

He replaced the sweater back on the top shelf and closed the closet door. Picking up a few items of rubbish, he threw them into the trash and straightened his bed, before running his hands over his face and digging his knuckles into his eyes.

It wasn't long before Elena knocked softly on his door and he hastily crossed the room to open it for her, taking the two cups of coffee and bag of goodies from her, before stepping back to let her in. She closed the door behind her and dug in her purse for the DVD's she had just picked up as she crossed the room to his bed to sit down.

"We watch these." She said as she held out the DVD's towards him. "We drink these." And pointed towards the coffee. "We eat those." Indicating the goodies in the brown bag. "We do some of this." She said as she took Jesse's hand in hers. "And maybe some of this." She lowered her voice as she moved his hand to her breast and slipped her own hand down the front of his jeans.

Jesse smiled as he pulled her closer to him, removing his hand from her breast and placing both hands tightly on her hips. Elena was here. Elena wanted to be with him. Elena was doing everything she knew how to distract him and remind him that she was his. And as he wrapped his arms around her, gently kissing his neck, he found himself forgetting about Beca as he poured everything he had into being with the girl in front of him. She got him. She knew how to work him. And for the next few hours, the movies long since finished as they lay wrapped in each other's, drawing lazy circles on each other's sweaty, naked bodies, he was content.

As in really content.

So why, after getting dressed and stopping for another coffee in the café at Elena's insistence by her apartment before dropping Elena off at her apartment later that night, did he feel like utter crap?

Flicking open his laptop, he struggled out of his jacket as the machine flickered into life. He had had a stupid idea whilst walking back to his dorm and needed to see if it was possible. He pulled open all the travel websites he could think of and lost himself in the ten minutes looking at options before concluding that this was a useless idea because he couldn't think straight. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he dialled his brothers' home number.

"What's up little bro?"

"Need a favour man."

"Yup. What can I do? You sound exhausted."

"What schedule are you on at the moment?" Jesse asked, ignoring the last comment.

"This week ... ah ... let me look. Are you okay to hold for a moment? I'm on the kitchen phone and it's fixed to the wall!"

"Sure thing."

Jesse drummed his fingers on his leg as he waited for Chris to come back.

"Let's see." Chris said as he picked up the phone again. Jesse could hear him flicking through the pages. "I'm on the short stops this week. Got to San Fran tomorrow, followed by San Diego and then doing the run over to Bullhead City before heading out to ..."

"Dude!"

"What Jess?"

"I'll literally do anything. Anything at all, if you can get me on that plane."

"What? You want to go to San Fran?"

"No, I need to go to Vegas."

"Erm ... okay. Why?"

Jesse sighed and suddenly felt a little foolish about his plans as he filled his brother in on what he had been hiding from his family for the past few months and especially the phone call he had received earlier that day from Chloe.

"So ... Beca, the love of your life and I am quoting Mom here, ran away after you faked proposed to her for a joke. You, being the dumb jerk you are followed after her and got hit by a truck. But Beca hasn't been seen since. You then get a call from her friend, who has been searching for her for months, saying they thinks she might be in Vegas. Am I up to date?"

"Erm ... yup."

"And on the back of this possibility, you want to go to Vegas?" Chris asked.

"Yup."

"Even though she's unlikely to actually be there?"

"She might be."

"Bro, you've got to think for a second. Vegas; city of five hundred thousand, home to a few million tourists, not to mention the various suburbs of how many thousands of people and you want to go and search for someone who left everything behind to escape? Meanwhile, you have a gorgeous girlfriend who is by your side the whole time and wants to be with you."

"Yup."

"Shit. You got it bad for this Beca babe."

"Yup." Jesse said matter of factly.

"What if she doesn't want to be found?"

"Then we'll take it from there."

"Okay ... let me think ... okay, erm, I take it you've tried all airline options?"

"Yup."

"Car hire?" Chris asked.

"Too young!"

"Oh yeah! Greyhound?"

"I need to get there by Monday."

"Oh."

"Look, I'll make some calls ... I can't promise anything. I'll see what the cargo is and see whether there is space for you." Chris simply said.

"Thanks man."

"Still think you are crazy. You sure you want to do this. I mean ... Elena?"

"I just need to know Beca is safe. Then ... I'll take it from there. Look, man, I appreciate this." Jesse said, thankful to his brother.

"I can't promise anything Jess."

"I know Chris, I know."

"Call you later. Get some rest. You sound beat." Chris said sincerely.

"Okay. Thanks. Bye."


	7. Who You Gonna Call? Fat Amy!

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Seven - Who You Gonna Call? ... Fat Amy! .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

'Fat' Amy Wilson was chewing a mouthful of blueberry pancakes in the kitchen when she heard the phone ringing in her pocket. She was just eating her second breakfast as she decided what to have for lunch.

She chewed her food as she struggled to get her phone out of her pocket and for the _nth_ time, she decided that she really should get a smaller phone ... or just buy pants with much larger pockets.

Not bothering to look at who was calling for a number of reasons, the first being that she never stored any numbers in her phone and the second was that she was always happy to hear from anyone, she thumbed the screen and heard a familiar authoritative tone barking (in Amy's own opinion) into the speaker as she placed it to her ear.

**_"Hang on Chloe ..."_** Aubrey said and Amy could hear the vibrating echo of a large open space as Aubrey spoke. Amy paused for a second before answering while she swallowed the remains of her pancakes.

**_"... Amy?"_**

_"Yeah, it's me!"_

**_"This is Aubrey Posen."_**

_"I figured as much Bree! Hello!"_

**_"Hello."_**

_"Are yoos calling from the air?"_

**_"No."_**

_"Oh. Did yoos miss yoos flight, yoos pair of ...?"_

**_"We did not miss the flight."_**

_"Oh, I thought the flight was at 11? Did yoos decide not to go to Memphis? Red said she was going to Memphis. Then yoos left in a hurry saying yoos were going to Memphis. So what h ..."_

**_"Memphis is out."_**

_"Okay ... why?"_

**_"Why what?"_**

_"Why are yoos not going to Memphis dummy?"_

**_"Oh, we think Beca might be in Vegas until Monday."_**

_"Struth! Is she a closest gambler like Cynthia? Is she rollin' the high stakes? Addicted to slot machines? Ha!"_

**_"No, I doubt very much that she is gambling."_**

_"Fair dinkum. Oh wait; has she become a Las Vegas Showgirl?"_

**_"No, I doubt she has become a Vegas Showgirl."_**

_"Really. I think she'd be good at it."_

**_"Why?"_**

_"Why not?! Crikey! She's got a good body and scrummy legs and those ti..."_

**_"She's too short."_**

_"Well, I hardly think –"_

**_"- And alternative."_**

_"But different is good, hey Aubrey! Remember last month when yoos let me touch yoos boo ..."_

**_"Not the point ..."_**

_"Ha! So, why are yoos not going to Vegas to get our girl back?"_

**_"There are no flights."_**

_"Oh, have yoos tried every desk, website, phone number?"_

**_"Yes."_**

_"Ha! Did yoos fry someone when they told yoos no? Ha!"_

**_"Possibly."_**

_"Ha! So, there is nothing ..."_

**_"No."_**

_"When is the first available flight?"_

**_"Not until Tuesday."_**

_"Well, that a pigs bum mate. What are yoos going to do?"_

**_"We are going to drive."_**

_"Who is?"_

**_"Chloe and myself."_**

_"In yoos Caddy?"_

**_"Of course in my Cadillac."_**

_"Hahaha hahaha hahaha!" _Amy snorted while she held the phone away from her ear for a moment.

**_"Please do not laugh."_**

_"Fucking bugger me senseless!"_

**_"Amy!"_**

_"Hahaha ... best thing I have heard all year!"_

**_"Stop laughing."_**

_"Sorry Aubrey. You and Red on a road trip! Comedy gold! _*cough*_ Sorry. Erm ... good luck."_

**_"Thank you."_**

_"Sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"_

**_"Fancy a road trip?"_**

_"Are yoos asking me to come too? Like, with yoos? Far out!"_

**_"Yes, we need the extra driver."_**

_"How far is it?"_

**_"2000 miles."_**

_"That's a heck of a long way Blondie."_

**_"Yes, I know."_**

_"You might just need some help on the road then, protect yoos from the freaks, get some protection from the Fat Power? I'll have yoos know I'm the best driver in Tasmania with eyesight and -"_

**_"- Will you come?"_**

_"Are yoos sure yoos ain't kidding?"_

**_"No, I am not kidding."_**

_"Fuck me._

**_"*sigh*"_**

_"Sorry. Bad language, I know. Why me? I thought yoos thought I was an idiot, a drongo, a galah, a tur -"_

**_"- There is no one else I trust with this that is why."_**

_"Aww, Aubrey, yoos trust me. You do like me. _*sniff*_ Ooh, I feel all gooey inside. _*sniff*_ Thanks mate, means a lot _*sniff*_, it really does."_

**_"Do not get all weird on me."_**

_"Of course, I'll come. We're mates, right? We'll get the alt chick back."_

**_"Thank you."_**

_"Okay. What do I need?"_

**_"Just bring a change of clothes."_**

_"Change of clothes, righteo. You need anything?"_

**_"Please go into my room and select a couple of items for me as well."_**

_"Like yoos sexy itty bitty smalls."_

**_"No, not that underwear."_**

_"Your lacy little black bra with the roses on, the one yoos save for special occasions?!"_

**_"How do you even know?"_**

_"Oh, I happened to be in yoos room one day with Bumper and I was poking through yoos drawers looking."_

**_"Urgh, I am so getting a lock on my door."_**

_"We changed yoos sheets mate."_

**_"Gross."_**

_"So, just normal underwear then."_

**_"Just normal please."_**

_"Sure thing. I'll get some tops, jeans, shoes too. Anything else ..."_

**_"And the same for Chloe."_**

_"Bonza! So we really are doing this?"_

**_"Yes."_**

_"You ain't kidding me are yoos Bree? This shit ain't a joke, is it? Is it real? Or a wind up for my birthday?"_

**_"No, this "shit" as you so eloquently put it is real."_**

_"Okay Captain. What time?"_

**_"We are leaving the airport now and we will pick you up on the way."_**

_"Copy Roger. Time to finish me breakfast."_

**_"Oh, please pack snacks."_**

_"Can I bring Bumper?"_

**_"No, you may not bring Bumper."_**

_"Aww, are yoos sure? We'll keep the noise down."_

**_"Yes I am sure."_**

_"Why the heck not?"_

**_"Because he is an idiot."_**

_"Oh, and there was me thinking yoos had mellowed."_

**_"And there is no more room in the car."_**

_"Nah, I'm only kidding. Be fun with just us girls anyway, won't it!"_

**_"Yes."_**

_"So how long will yoos be?"_

**_"Twenty seven minutes."_**

_"What can't yoos say half an hour like a normal person?"_

**_"Because it is twenty seven minutes not half an hour."_**

_"Hahaha. okay, drive careful. See yoos in a bit chick."_

**_"Goodbye."_**

Amy ended the call, smirking to herself as she loved to wind up Aubrey as she was such an easy target. Turning back to her breakfast, she quickly inserted the remains of her pancakes and slurped the rest of her coffee, before dumping the dishes in the sink. Squirting a few drops of washing up liquid into the sink, she turned the hot tap on and let it run for a few seconds over the dishes.

"Oh heck!" She said, out loud, but only to herself as she turned the water off. "I ain't got time for this! I'm going to Vegas! Yeah! Whomp, there it is!"

As fast as she could, Amy crossed the lounge and into the small storage area by the front door. She quickly found her small weekend bag and hurried to her bedroom to pack what she would need. She opened her closest and frowned when her mind went foggy and she couldn't process what she would need to take.

"Patricia Amy, pull yoos shit together. You've got 23 minutes before they get here. You were in the Girl Scouts for seven years. You earned seven badges. Including beekeeping. You've got this!"

Amy quickly began throwing things onto her bed, underwear, clean jeans, a few tops and pair of Converse before stuffing them into her holdall. She tossed in her hairbrush and some make up before throwing open her bedroom door and marching to the bathroom she shared. Selecting her toothbrush, she swiped a tube of toothpaste, some shower gel and shampoo for them all to share before grabbing four clean towels from the joint cupboard.

With her arms full, she dumped the items back on her bed, before entering Chloe's room. Amy loved Chloe's room and she would often just go and stand in there and sniff. She just loved the homeliness, the untidiness and the relaxed feel of Chloe's room. It was an appealing room with colourful posters, pictures and ornaments and so many photo frames. Every inch was covered in something to look at. She scooted over to Chloe's closet, pulled open the door and laughed.

Chloe's closet was just a dumping ground, nothing was organised, boxes were without lids or labels, no clothes on hangers, shoes unpaired just shoved onto shelves, jewellery all over the place and a huge pile of laundry just sitting in the corner. Amy knew this was Chloe's nemesis along with her inability to cook. How Chloe managed to look so neat and tidy on a daily basis was beyond Amy.

Grabbing a couple of tops that looked clean and a pair of black jeans, she scooped up a pair of trainers, before helping herself to a bra and some underwear that she hoped to God was clean. She kicked the door shut, knocking _'something'_ over inside, which settled a few seconds later.

Shrugging to herself, she took one last sniff in the room and left. Smirking to herself, she picked up the pace a little bit as she entered Aubrey's room, immediately sobering. There was something so unbelievably calm, orderly and organised, almost sterile about being in Aubrey's room. It felt as if Aubrey was in there herself, offering you one of her famous pouts at the intrusion.

It was like a show home and Amy ignored the urge to turn everything backwards as she opened Aubrey's closet to reveal the neatly stacked and organised shelves. Grabbing a top from the pink pile and one from the blue pile, she pulled out a pair of beige jeans and a pair of sandals, having already clocked Aubrey's boots that morning. She grinned to herself as she pulled some underwear out of the box labelled 'underwear' because really, she needed to label that?

"Jeez, these twig bitches wear small smalls." Amy chuckled as she grabbed a bra as well. She carefully closed the closet door with her foot and walked back to her own room. Dumping everything back on her bed, she loaded the clothes into her bag mechanically before slipping in the toiletries and towels she had collected earlier. She located her phone charger by her life size inflatable kangaroo and grabbed her laptop, placing both in her bag as well. Zipping it up carefully, she looked around quickly to see if she might need anything else.

"Fourteen minutes! Nine to go!" Amy muttered to herself. "Crushed it!"

Making her way to the kitchen, she dumped her bag in the living room. Collecting a cloth shopping bag from one of the kitchen drawers, she ransacked the cupboards for snacks and drinks, stealing sweets and gum and packed it in the bag. She put some kitchen paper in, grabbed a few plastic cups, a few straws and a picnic blanket and added that to the bag. Remembering that her iPod was on charge in her bedroom, she tied the handles of the cloth bag and left it by her holdall as she walked through the living room again before entering her bedroom. Taking the final look around her, Amy pushed her feet into a pair of flats, picked up her iPod and slipped it into her pocket and pulled a cardigan from the back of her door just as her phone buzzed with a new message.

Message Chloe 11.47 - _We are outside. Bree says 'move it'._

Message Chloe 11.47 - _I say 'I love you' xx_

Messaged Amy 11.48 - _Okay Twigs. On my way!_

Amy shut her phone off, slipped it into her pocket, gathered up her bags from the living room and yelled at the top of her lungs to the quiet apartment.

"Anyone who is awake! I'm off to VEGAS! Hooroo aca-bitches! See yoos next week!"

Stacie poked her head out of her bedroom as she heard the front door close with such force that it shook the whole apartment.

"Did Amy just say she was going to Vegas?" Stacie said as she turned back to Cynthia Rose who had also woken when the front door slammed.

"Yeah. You know Amy! It's probably true!" Cynthia Rose yawned and turned back over in bed. "At least we'll have some peace and quiet for a few days."

"True, but there's no one else around to keep an eye on Lilly." Stacey said, looking to their bedroom door for a second.

"Lock her in her room. She'll be fine."

"Good point. Wake me up in an hour. I've got a hot date later." Stacey said, slipping her eye mask down over her face.

"Is Vegas ready for Amy?" Cynthia Rose asked, laying looking at the ceiling.

"Nothing ever is."


	8. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Eight - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

**_Saturday, 4pm_**

Chloe lay with her eyes closed on the back seat of Aubrey's SUV, covered in Amy's cardigan and using her own weekend bag as a makeshift pillow.

She couldn't sleep, having gone far beyond the realms of possibility of actually falling asleep, with so many thoughts racing through her mind. She felt a bit sick but guessed that was just from tiredness, or maybe excitement, adrenaline or just Chloe being Chloe. But she also felt bad. And Chloe didn't like to feel bad. She was very much in the _'turn that frown upside down'_ camp but she had just broken up her boyfriend of four years ... actually he had actually dumped her in the end ... so she thought, just this once, she could allow herself to be sad.

**.o0o.**

Chloe knew she had to be honest with Tom about what was going on in her head and her heart but she wanted to get this _thing_ with Beca possibly in Las Vegas sorted first before sitting down and confronting her feelings about her boyfriend. And Beca obviously, seeing how Aubrey had made her confess her feelings for her friend in an airport terminal a few hours beforehand.

Chloe loved Tom. She didn't want to hurt him. They were good together intellectually, they shared the same sense of humour and they were amazing together in bed, or wherever else they ended up.

Tom got her angsty side, knew by the sound of her voice when she needed him to take control and he never complained when she called him in the middle of the night to meet in the college shower block for _'some titanium time'_. But Chloe knew he was not the person she was going to be with forever. She loved him dearly, yes, but she was never going to settle down with him for the long haul. They were just safe together for now and he had been a useful distraction until she could get the idea of Beca out of her head. It had been there a while but she'd put it down to her having an exciting friend and never once had it really entered her mind that she was in love with her.

But even if Beca wasn't into her, and by this point, Chloe had pretty much figured she wasn't, she knew that wasn't being fair and true to Tom. And that was just plain mean to mess with his feelings like that. It wasn't his fault she was in love with him after all. Chloe knew that if Beca cared about what she was putting her friends through, cared about her in any way, she would have got in touch somehow. She knew the Barden University address after all. Her father's home address on campus even. He hadn't gone to England by the time she had left. If she had really, really wanted to, she could have got in touch. Chloe felt guilty for thinking of this over and over. Beca wasn't a communicator, wasn't a doer, was closed off and everyone knew just how close she played her cards to her chest. But Chloe also knew of the connection she had felt with Beca over the past year and she knew Beca hadn't shared that feeling with anyone else. Beca had gotten closer to Aubrey (well, most of the time) and Amy, but not in the same way as her and Chloe.

Chloe's stomach had internally and unintentionally flipped when she had looked at her phone while walking from the terminal earlier with Aubrey. She had sent Tom a text a couple of hours prior, saying that she would see him on Sunday, and he had replied saying that he needed to talk when she got back_. 'Tom never needed to talk!'_ Chloe had thought to herself, knowing he was a man of few words, usually happy with just getting into her pants. Chloe, being the impatient type and having an almost apoplectic aversion to waiting for anything, had phoned him as she slipped into the front seat of Aubrey's Cadillac.

"Chloe?" Tom answered on the second ring.

"Hey gorgeous, I got your text. You don't have to wait until tomorrow to speak to me. I love talking to you! You can phone anytime. How is your Saturday going? Did you sleep well last night? Oh, you were out last night with ... erm ... Bryce, right? Did you have fun? Where did you go? How did the meeting go on Thursday night? Sorry I didn't call last night ... Merlot plus Aubrey ... we weren't in a fit state to speak to anyone! Did you speak to your Dad about borrowing his cabin at Christmas? I know Christmas is a way away yet but we should totally go away for a few days. Oh ... you were getting your bike fixed today, weren't you? Are you there now? What did they say was wrong? What are you having for dinner tonight? Are you going out again tonight? Did you get my letter? Sorry for all of the questions! How are you?!"

"Chloe ..." Tom sighed and Chloe waited for him to start laughing like he always did when she pelted him with questions. When he didn't continue, she filled the silence that seemed twenty seconds too long.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I picked up some ingredients for those raisin cookies you like. I was going to ask Bree to help me make them when we get back." Chloe had flashed at her eyes across towards Aubrey who had responded with an eye roll, Chloe accepted that as a yes. "Oh, I'm not going to Memphis today. We, that's Bree and me, are going to Vegas; we think Beca is in Ve ..."

"Chloe ..." Tom started again, interrupting Chloe in mid flow and then stopped.

"I know, I should have said earlier. Sorry. But double batch of raisin cookies when I get home? I know they are your favourite. Oh, you left your shirt at mine on Monday night. I wore it to bed, hope you don't mind!"

"Chloe ..."

"... I'll wash it Tom ..." Chloe paused as she was not really sure what was happening. Tom had only managed to say her name so far but she could hear a _tone_ in his voice. "Are you okay?"

"No."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't do this anymore." Tom spoke softly.

"What?"

"Come on Chloe ... you really need me to spell it out?"

"Tom, I'm not sure -"

"- You've got your head in the cloudy skies of Happy Land all the time and you fail to see what's really going on in the real world. Get you head out of your ass Chloe." Tom suddenly exploded.

Chloe blinked, her eyes widening, too shocked to speak. Aubrey took her eyes off the road for a moment to look at Chloe when she heard Tom yelling at her best friend through the phone.

"I _love_ you. I do. But I don't think you love me." Tom's voice, now softer, but still full of emotional rage. "I haven't seen you properly for weeks because you have been flying here, there and everywhere. And I first I understood. I did. And actually, I _still_ do. I'm a guy but I do understand how a girl's friendship works. But I need you to be there for me as well."

"Tom, I _am_ here -"

"- But you aren't." His voice had never sounded so cold.

"Tom, I -"

"- No, you aren't Chloe. I am literally fucking your brains out until you almost pass out every time I see you. You act like you are in the moment but you aren't there with me anymore. It's as if you are somewhere else. I know you aren't screwing around with someone else, I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't do that ..."

"No, I wouldn't." Chloe blurted out, taking her turn to interrupt him. She meant every word. She _wasn't_ like that, despite what was going on in her head.

" ... But I need someone with me in that moment. Maybe I am the selfish ass, wanting my _girlfriend_ to be there with me, to spend a weekend with me after a tough week working, not flying around the country looking for some stuck up, selfish, angry, hormonal teenager who can't be -"

"-TOM!" Chloe cried out. "Stop right there. She's none of those things. If you took the time to get to know her, you'd see she -"

"- My point exactly Chloe. It's all about _her_." Tom spat.

"Tom, don't do this over the phone. We just need to talk." Chloe pleaded, not wanting to this be done over the phone.

"No, we don't. I've made my mind up."

"Tom ... please? This can't be because I've been a bit busy lately and distracted, surely? You are willing to throw away four years together without even talking about it."

"Mm hmm."

"Tom?" Chloe resigned herself to ask the question that had been in her head since she heard say he had had enough.

"What?"

"Is there someone else?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I know you Tom. You are patient with me when I am distracted, you don't usually get narky when I am busy, or if I have extra Bella practice, you turn up with dinner, and you didn't have a problem with me looking for my lost _friend_, in fact you were the one who encouraged me to do it. Plus you don't shout at me for without a real reason."

Chloe heard Tom sigh down the phone. She waited for a couple of seconds but it was obvious Tom wasn't about to give anything away.

"Please, just be honest with me Tom. I think I deserve that." She said flatly. In the back of her mind, she knew she was speaking without conviction, knowing that she had in fact been planning on talking with Tom about this very thing but hers were just thoughts in her head, rather than actions that had already happened She hadn't wanted to talk about it over the phone and in an angry state of mind. She was however, totally unprepared for what she heard him say next.

"Yes ... okay ..."

"Yes? Okay? Okay what?"

"I _have_ been seeing someone else."

"Oh."

Chloe sat in silence for a moment. She lowered her chin to her chest and stared at her knees for the longest time. Aubrey looked over to her and seeing her obvious distress, reached out an arm and placed it lightly on her thigh, not really knowing what was being said on the phone but taking an educated guess.

"Who is she? How long?"

Tom sighed on the other end of the phone.

"It's no one you know. It's just someone in my apartment block.

"Oh wow, I am being left for 'just someone'."

"Chloe -"

"- You know what, it _is_ fine. It is fine. It's okay."

"Chloe ..."

"I've got some things of yours back at home. I'll box it and send it."

"Chloe ... I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Chloe said brightly, hiding the pain from her now ex-boyfriend. "It was fun while it lasted. I'll always love you. Bye Tom."

Chloe hung up her phone, cutting Tom off before he could say anything more and dropped it into her lap before she let the tears fall from her eyes.

"Chloe, do you need me to pull over? Do you need a hug?" Aubrey said, totally at a loss as to what to say or do.

"I'm fine Bree, honestly. Keep driving, it's okay. It was ..." Chloe let out a small sob. "... it's just him cheating. That's harsh. I mean, I know I am a pickle sometimes, but -"

"- I thought you said that your love for him had -"

"- I'll always love him but -"

"- I know. If your heart is yearning for another, then ..." Aubrey said, as they started speaking without needing to let the other person finish.

"I wasn't going to keep him around as a spare part in case things didn't work out with someone else -"

"- Someone else is being Beca?"

"Bree ... I'm not in the mood to talk about that right now."

"I am sorry, that was really insensitive of me. Please excuse me. Sorry." Aubrey paused for a moment. "Chloe, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine! I'm me!"

"Chloe?"

"Really Bree, let's get Amy and let's get on the road and we'll look back on this day soon and laugh."

"I told you he was a douche."

"I know you did."

"Now he is a fucking selfish wanker to boot."

"Aubrey!"

"Well, he is!" Aubrey exclaimed, as she pulled up in front of their apartment, slipping the car into park and killing the engine in one solid movement.

"Yes, but since when do you swear?"

"When my best friend is upset."

"I love you Bree Zee!"

"I love you too Chloe Bear!"

Chloe unbuckled her seatbelt and leant over to plant a kiss on Aubrey's cheek. Aubrey pulled her in for a hug, slipping her arms around the red heads back and pulling her in tightly to her. They sat like that for a minute or two.

"Okay, text Amy and tell her we are outside and tell her to '_move it'_. We want to hit the road as soon as possible." Aubrey said, as they pulled apart. Chloe grinned and grabbed her phone, thumbing the screen quickly. She scrolled to her messages and tapped out a couple of messages to Amy who replied almost instantly. Aubrey clicked open the trunk from within the car, just as Amy came hurtling down the path from their apartment. Throwing her bags into the trunk, she threw open the doors and literally jumped into the car.

"Move 'em on, head 'em up, head 'em up, move 'em out, move 'em on, head 'em out ... Raaaaawwwwwwwwwhide!"

"Amy?"

"It means go Aubrey ... go!"


	9. Highway To Hell Or Nowhere In Particular

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Nine - Highway To Hell Or Nowhere In Particular .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

_**Saturday, 7pm**_

They had been on the road for over seven hours, and they were supposed to have been on the other side of Little Rock by now, if the plan _had_ been adhered to. However, they had only just bypassed Memphis. Chloe, with her fingers lightly tapping on her stomach drumming an unknown beat, roughly worked out that they were two hours behind schedule already and the reason for this was currently being debated heatedly in the car as she heard Amy and Aubrey bickering in the front two seats.

"Amy? Amy! Pull over!"

"Are yoos going to puke mate?"

"No, but your driving is scaring the living _shits_ out of me." Aubrey hissed through clenched teeth. "Oh my God!"

"Oooh Aubrey Posen made a sweary noise. I'll note that in ma diary. I'll have yoos know but I am one of the best drivers in Tasmania ... with or without feet. Buckle up Skippy, there is still two hours to go of ma shift."

"I am not sure I can manage that long. Perhaps if you slow down a bit? You are going too fast." Aubrey pleaded.

"Can it Blondie, I did an advance driving course when I was at school. I was 12 at the time. We weren't allowed to start the ignition on the car, just sit in it but I do _know_ how it's _supposed _to be done. Which is the same thing, right?"

"Oh God!"

"Bree, breathe." Chloe said from where she was lying on the back seat. "Why don't you and I switch seats? You can come and lie here and I'll sit up front with Amy."

"No Chloe, you need to sleep. You didn't sleep last night at all."

"It's okay Bree, I've been trying for a few hours but I can't drop off. My mind is running away with me right now" Chloe said, adjusting her seat belt to allow herself to sit up. "I'm good though. The coffee at the last stop will have me bouncing until Wednesday I think."

"*squeal* _Shit_!"

"Aubrey?" Chloe looked to catch Amy's eyes in the rear view mirror.

"Yes!" Aubrey squeaked.

"Was that you?" Chloe asked.

"Bree, this is a Cadillac Escalade right? With the latest features? And gadgets? It has both heated and cooled front seats, rear vision camera, navigation built in (which is super cool by the way) and full on climate control. Right? This bad boy is an all-wheel drive, has platinum trim, a six speed gear box, has a high-performance four hundred and three HP, six point two litre, V eight engine right? It can go from naught to sixty in less than seven seconds right? They cost over $85,000 right? It's an SUV right?" Amy stated.

"Mm hmm." Aubrey breathed, clenching her knees together.

"So why do I have to keep it under 40 miles an hour? My Grandma can run faster than this. And she's been dead for three years."

"Oh God!"

Amy was desperately trying to keep a straight face as Aubrey squirmed in her seat. Aubrey loved her car and hadn't really thought it through when she agreed they would all share in the driving to Las Vegas. Aubrey didn't mind Chloe's driving; she had been friends with her for long enough to know that even though she looked like she wasn't going to slow down for the Stop sign, she was paying attention and would brake _just _in time. Most of the time anyway.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I was on a road trip through Australia with my Dad?" Amy asked, turning fully in her seat to look at Chloe in the back. "We were both complaining that we had yet to see any kangaroos. Suddenly, we saw one up real close. The rental car saw it even closer! Ha! Man, there was some vicious cropdusting in the car that day, I can tell yoos!"

"AMY! Eyes front! NOW!"

"Game time!" Amy announced, as she turned back to face the road again, ignoring the glare from Aubrey. "Bored of the scaredy talk. So let's play something."

"What did you have in mind?!" Chloe asked, softly laughing, as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"Gimme a second to think Red. It will have to be a good 'un to take Aubrey's mind of ma awesome motoring skills." Amy jerked the steering wheel to the left to see Aubrey's reaction and Aubrey clutched at her stomach in fear.

"That was _so _close to the _edge _Amy! I am going to be sick. _Please_ stop the car."

"Bree, it's okay. We are going to stop for some dinner soon. I'll take another shift then okay? We need to pick up some time and get this journey done." Chloe said kindly.

"It just seems so fast when it is someone else in the driver seat." Aubrey replied; grimacing as Amy took one hand off the steering wheel to slip her bra strap back onto her shoulder. "I will drive for a bit after dinner and I promise to stop when I am tired and let Amy drive while I am asleep."

Chloe leaned forward and squeezed Aubrey's arm as Amy announced she had an idea for the game.

"We all get to name our five top funny stories. The one who the best worst story gets to have her dinner bought by the other two. Got it?"

"I'm paying for dinner Amy ..." Chloe piped up from the back seat, fully intending to not make her friends pay for anything for the trip; her Uncle's trust fund more than covering any costs they would incur.

"Nope Red. My game. My rules. I'll go first so yoos see what I mean." Amy interrupted, before briefly thinking of a story. "Oh, got it! For my one year anniversary with Jed (boyfriend number 11), I sang him a heartfelt, self-written song about my love for him, putting all of my soul and effort into it. There were actions. And props. The first thing he said after I'd kissed him was, '_yoos fly is open'_, so I dumped his sorry behind."

"Oh Amy." Aubrey began "That is so sad. I'm so sorry ..."

"Naw, Aubrey, don't worry, it was great. I went out and snagged me a couple of surfers and I spent a lot of time getting over him!" Amy laughed.

"OK, I've got one!" Chloe said, turning to look out of the window. "I often dream about Robert Downey Jr. He kept flirting with me and asking me out. Each time I said no and that I was with Tom. When I woke up, I was really proud of myself for not cheating on Tom and I told him this. He answered with, '_What the hell? I could have kissed the mouth that kissed the Iron Man!'._"

Amy snorted in the front and even Aubrey raised a smile.

"Nice one Red! I introduced a boyfriend to my parents. They thought it would be _extremely_ funny to pretend they were nudists."

"I went on a blind date before I met Tom. The very first thing the guy did was ask if I knew what it felt like to have spiders crawl out of my vagina."

"Fuck me Red! Hahaha! … I was helping my elderly neighbour carry her groceries into her kitchen. When I finished, she turned, sighed and said, '_You are such a sweet girl. It's just such a shame about your face!'_ She did give me a buck for helping though."

"Haha Amy! That's just reminded me of the time I worked at the local Piggly Wiggly when I was in High School." Chloe said. "An elderly lady came in and needed some help with finding the right type of tea. I leant her a hand, spending about forty minutes reading different labels out loud to her until she found one she liked. After she was done, she handed me a pamphlet for the STD clinic in town and said '_You're a nice girl; I hope you don't go to hell.'_."

"Oh! Haha! Aubrey, you got anything?" Chloe asked.

"I was quite stressed over finals this year. And I stress eat as you know. Please do not judge me. During this time, I ate three extremely large packets of skittles. I realised I had missed a large section of work out of my study plan and I ... I ... I got _'concerned'_. I then threw up the skittles. Taste the rainbow, puke the rainbow, I guess."

Amy roared with laughter as Chloe looked to see the expression on Aubrey's face and was surprised to see a small smile flicker over her smooth lips.

"I lost in a spelling bee for spelling _'spelling'_ wrong." Amy continued with another story.

"Oh Aubrey, do you remember that time I used the restroom at Barden Mall. I left you in that stationery shop, do you remember?" Chloe looked at Aubrey as she nodded. "I thought I was alone in the restroom so I started singing, badly and out of tune, just because I was testing my range after having my nodes removed. When I got out of the stall, there were seven men staring at me. Not only did I embarrass myself with my own singing, I'd accidently used the men's restroom as well."

"Red, yoos are a danger to the public! I've got one from today actually. I shut ma boob in the car door as Chloe and I switched seats earlier!"

"Oh my God, you didn't!"

"I did! I was so busy jumping, I didn;t see where I was going. Any more stories, this is fun."

"I wrote a text to a guy I'd had a crush on for two years. I typed '_Hey'_ and put my phone down, not ready to send it. A little while later, I heard it buzz. The reply said '_Um, what?'_ Apparently my brother, Finn, had added '_I'm a shitty prostitute!'_ to my first text and sent it." Chloe groaned at the memory.

"How are we going to decide which the best story?" Amy asked, as she wiped the tears from her face. They all sat in silence for a moment or two.

"I've got a good one and it's a winner." Chloe said, turning her face back to the window, her voice softening a little. "I attend Barden University Graduate School with the most amazing bunch of misfit friends I could ever have imagined. I love each and every single one of them. I am part of an all-girls award winning a cappella group. I currently have a 4.0 GPA, having double majored in Russian Literature and Chemistry this year. I am about to embark on an Anthropology Degree. I am a World Girls Junior Championship chess winner three times over. I can hold my breath for two minutes and thirty one seconds. I had a great boyfriend who, until precisely ..." Chloe checks her watch. "... eight hours and eleven minutes ago I thought doted on me -"

"- Wait, what?" Amy interrupted, spinning around in the seat again.

"Sssh." Aubrey administered. "Eyes front!"

"I have planned and organised field trips, planned vacations, planned nights in, planned nights out, I am part of six different clubs on campus, I didn't leave Barden even though I had the option because I like the routine of it all. I am the youngest of six children, with five older brothers and amazing parents. I am lucky that I have a loving family, who love me back, for my achievements, my abilities, for being me. I am a pretty put together person because of this. I am a planner, a thinker, a problem resolver." Chloe paused for a moment and turned her head towards the front of the car. "And yet, here I am, currently sitting in my best friend's SUV; being driven by my other best friend and we are seven and a half hours into an eighty hour journey. We are travelling a good four thousand plus miles across the country and back, to try to find a missing girl off the back of an email from a random stranger. This might not even _be_ Beca. It might be someone _completely_ different. She may not even be there, at this random motel on the outskirts of Las Vegas. If it is Beca, she may or may not even want to see us, let alone talk to us. It's all a little crazy. I didn't really recognise until just now that I was being _completely _impulsive. Why am I doing this?" Chloe posed the question and locked eyes with Amy in the rear view mirror. "Because I am in _freaking_ love with Beca Mitchell and have been for a year since the second I laid eyes on her ... now, _that_ is a funny story!"


	10. Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now?

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Ten - Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now? .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN – Ridiculously short chapter. It was early morning here in Blighty when it started raining hard, which along with the wind (outside, not Mr next to me!) kept me awake. So I gave up trying to sleep and typed up this little filler chapter to get me from Chapter 9 to Chapter 11. So this snippet is what you've got for now! Chapters 11, 12 and 13 are also finished but not proof read yet! Thanks for reading and following :)**

**Song is by Miranda Lambert and is called Kerosene.**

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

"It's a _go_ bro." Chris said happily over the phone as Jesse answered his mobile roughly ten minutes after putting the phone down to his brother Chris earlier that evening. "We'll need to keep it quiet, but I've put you down as crew on the flight. I'm going to need to turn up in Nashville by 5am tomorrow. I'll lend you some threads for the flight. But you'll need passport, driving licence etc -"

"- Are you serious? It's not illegal is it? You can take me?"

"Yes, it's all fine, I've cleared you. But not a word to Mom, she'll do her nut."

"Why would she do that?"

"Come on Jesse, it's been hard for her to leave you in Barden after you knocked your noggins."

"I'll deal with Mom another time. Okay. 5am. Nashville airport. Go it. Shit. I've got to go now. I'll drive up. _Shit_. I need coffee. I'll see you soon."

Jesse hung up his phone and paused for the briefest of seconds, listening to the song coming through his iPod, which he had left with the volume on low on his desk.

_I'm waitin' on the sun to set cause yesterday ain't over yet  
>I started smoking cigarettes, there's nothing else to do I guess<br>Dusty roads ain't made for walking, spinning tires ain't made for stoppin'  
>I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me<em>

_I gave it everything I had and everything I got was bad  
>Life ain't hard but it's too long to live it like some country song<br>Trade the truth in for a lie, cheatin' really ain't a crime  
>I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me<em>

_Forget you high society, I'm soakin' it in Kerosene  
>Light 'em up and watch them burn, teach them what they need to learn, ha!<br>Dirty hands ain't made for shakin', ain't a rule that ain't worth breakin'  
>Well I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me<em>

_Now I don't hate the one who left, you can't hate someone who's dead  
>He's out there holdin' on to someone, I'm holdin' up my smokin' gun<br>I'll find somewhere to lay my blame the day she changes her last name  
>Well I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me<em>

_Well I'm giving up on love hey love's given up on me_

'_Should I tell Elena? No, not now. I'll call her later, when I am more clear headed. No, she'd need to know in case she came over first thing in the morning. I'll write her a note and slip it under her door. No, that's bad. I'll pack first and then make a decision. Okay, what to pack?'_ Jesse shook his head at his own behaviour. He decided he just felt a bit giddy at the thought of possibly seeing Beca. His _friend_ Beca, he retrained himself to think. He took a minute to sit down because his legs felt wobbly all of a sudden and he was just so tired.

Rubbing a hand over his face, he reached for the bottle of water that he always kept by his bed. He gulped down three mouthfuls before tipping the remaining dregs over his face. His brain was desperately trying to work out how long the drive to Nashville would take. Seeing as this was a trip he had taken a dozen times, with his family home being just on the outskirts of Nashville, he couldn't understand where his mind was going. He knew he had just had a _very_ good, satisfying but energetic evening with Elena but this was no reason to feel so damn drained.

Rubbing his eyes, he finally remembered that it was just under four hours to get to Nashville from Atlanta. Looking at his watch, he knew he had six hours before he had to be there. Jesse knew if he packed really quickly, he would have time to have a nap for an hour before heading off. Yes, that would be a good idea. He reached over to his desk where the remains of his second coffee were. Necking down most of the cup in one go, he grimaced as the dregs left a gritty, granular coating on his tongue. He took off the white plastic lid of his coffee cup and rested it on the desk. He swirled the remaining liquid around for a second or two, seeing white gritty particles in the bottom of his cup.

'_Elena must have put sugar in here.'_ He thought to himself as drained the rest of his drink. Getting off his bed and walking to his closet felt like a mammoth task but he promised himself to be done in five minutes flat. He could pick up anything he forgot at the airport, nothing else was really as important as finding his passport and then getting some sleep before hitting the road.

Jesse knelt down on the floor of his closet, knowing full well in his sleep riddled brain that he kept his passport in a box on the bottom shelf, behind the teddy bear that his sister Lucy and his Mom had made him take with him to Barden. As he leant forward to reach for the box, his head gently rested about the wall and he closed his eyes for '_just a second' _as the wall took the strain.

His fingers remained on the box lid and his face slumped against the wall, his shoulders dropped and his backside fell on to his feet as sleep overtook him. Part of his brain was still trying to get him to wake up as he slowly slid onto the floor, nesting himself in between the large pile of DVDs on the left of his closet and the small clothing mountain on the right but his confusing dream of two brunette girls quickly took over his subconscious as he submitted to the call of sleep.

Meanwhile, across his room, his phone lit up with the third unread text from Elena.

Message Elena - 11.01 _I'm sorry Jesse. I've made a mistake. I'm frightened of losing you. Please call me and I'll explain. E xx  
><em>Message Elena - 11.03 _Jesse, are you awake? Can you call me please? Exx  
><em>Message Elena - 11.04 _Jesse! I thought you'd go to find Beca tonight. I can't lose you to her. I know she is the love of your life. Please give me a chance and I can show you that I love you more than she ever will. Jesse, I drugged your coffee tonight. Twice. I'm sorry. It was wrong and I'm sorry. I know you'll be mad with me. But I really am scared of losing you. I'm coming over to yours and I'll explain. I'm sorry. Exx  
><em>


	11. A Barrel Full Of Laughs

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Eleven - A (Cracker) Barrel Full Of Laughs .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

"Are you done eating that Red?"

"Yes. Yes, I am." Chloe said, pushing her almost untouched pasta dish towards Amy, who quickly forked a piece of chicken with gusto as she swooped in on the dish being passed to her.

"Chloe? You need to eat." Aubrey admonished, her long fingers curling around her water glass, as she took note of Chloe's lack of appetite. They had been seated in the diner for forty minutes and while Amy had polished off a plate full of meat loaf in almost record time, Aubrey taking her time over her chicken-hold-the-mayo-salad, Chloe had only picked at a couple of mouthfuls of her pasta dish, poking uninterestedly at the noodles with her fork.

"I am Bree, I'm just tired. It's been a long day and I'm ... I'm just tired."

"Hey Bree?" Amy asked with her cheeks full of pasta. "Where the heck are we anyway?"

"Something that passes for a Cracker Barrel, apparently." Aubrey answered simply, casting a nervous glance to her left as one of their fellow patrons, seated at the counter, lifted a cheek to pass wind. Aubrey desperately tried to control her face into something passive.

"No, I got that." Amy said, picking up a printed napkin and showing Aubrey the logo on it. "I mean, where are we in the world of America?"

"This place is called Alma. It's just before the junction of the I-40 and the 540. They can a lot of spinach here. It's big business. Did you not see all the Popeye statues on the way in to the town?" Chloe sighed, her chin resting on her left hand as she drew a lazy circle with her right hand on the rim of her glass of root beer. She looked up at Amy who was still sporting a confused look. "We are in Arkansas. About ten miles before the border of Oklahoma."

"How'd you know all that?" Amy asked.

"Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale." Chloe said and paused, almost forgetting to explain before continuing. "My great, great, great grandfather built about one thousand miles of the I-40 between 1857 and 1859. It was called the Beale Wagon Road then."

"Do you know everything about everything?" Amy asked as she speared a piece of broccoli with her fork.

"No ... I ... I just know '_stuff'_! You know? I just retain a lot. Brain gets a bit busy sometimes. I don't know much about Australia though. You've got that covered!" Chloe added kindly. Amy puffed her thanks and continued to chew her way through Chloe's pasta, pausing occasionally to use her fork as an orchestral baton as she sung an unshared song in her mind.

"Chloe, sweetheart, what can I help you with?" Aubrey asked, sitting opposite Chloe in the tight booth, looking imploringly toward her friend. She knew Chloe only rambled off random facts when there was something wrong.

"Nothing Bree, I'm good. I'm just tired." Chloe said, her eyelids drooping.

"Chloe?" Aubrey sighed, reaching for Chloe's hand across the table, visibly blanching as her hand brushed against _something_ dried but still sticky on the table top. They had needed to stop somewhere to eat, that was quick service and not off the road so they wouldn't have to stop for long. Aubrey had allocated them one hour for food and relaxation before they wanted to be back in the SUV. It wasn't Aubrey's first choice of restaurant but the food was good, the service was friendly and pleasant and there were spare tables.

"Honestly, it's nothing. It's just that ... it's just that ..." Chloe paused, her resolve breaking. "... we're ten hours into this _thing_. We've got twenty hours to go. We're only a third of the way there, and I'm beat. I'm tired. It's been an emotional day. I've not slept in some forty hours and if I'm truthfully, catching three to four hours sleep a night has taken its toll on me over the past few months. I'm just tired of this. And I haven't even begun to think about the journey back. I'm starting to think this wasn't such a good idea."

"Why not Red? I think this was a great idea ... oh sorry, Bree ... I didn't mean to share my food with your sweater."

"I think Amy is right." Aubrey said, flicking off the piece of pasta that Amy had unwillingly shared with her, silently berating the Aussie and ignoring the gag reflex rumbling up to her throat. "I think this is just what you needed."

"What I needed?" Chloe repeated. "Aubrey, this isn't about _me_. I made a _promise_ to _Beca_ that I would _always_ be _there_ for _her_. I would _always_ be her _friend_, no matter what. Come hell _or_ high water. And we _all_ know she has _tested_ us this year, not even _counting_ the last few _months_. I mean let's leave _that_ out of it."

Amy paused mid mouthful as she looked up to face her friend, taking in Chloe's tone. Chloe never had a tone.

"She was trying our patience, to see how far she could go with us. With the _snarky_ comments, the ignoring of texts and phone calls, her _defiance_ at you Aubrey. It wasn't Beca being _difficult_; it was just Beca _protecting_ herself." Chloe continued, clearly on a roll, unleashing months of frustration. "It took me ... us ... but more me I know, a year of her _pushing_ me away, me _constantly_ offering my hand of friendship to her, I could see she was desperate to accept it but she kept on _shoving_ it back down my throat, _pushing_ me _further_ away, especially after the Semi Finals when she barked at me and stormed off. But she was broken, lost, frightened. She'd never had friends like us before; she admitted that to us after you puked Aubrey. That was as close to Beca _opening_ up as she could then. Then, those walls came crashing down. She let us in. She let Jesse in and look how that all ended. I'm so _angry _at her right now. How _dare_ she do this to us? How _dare_ she not get in contact? How _dare_ she belittle our friendship like this?"

"Chloe, you are allowed to be angry at her. She let you down!"

"No, she didn't Bree, she didn't. That's the _thing_. She never promised to be our friend ... my friend. She didn't ask for me to fall in love with her. That's my own undoing. And believe me I fell for her in a harder way than I realised. I've spent that last two hours in the car going over everything in my head, and now I've got a headache because of it." Chloe poked at her temple, to prove her point. "She is maddening, incredibly talented, beautiful, loving in her own way and she just gets under your _skin_. Whether she wants to be my friend in all this; it's irrelevant now. I just want her safe. I want her home. And if I have to keep my love for her a secret, I can do that. I can do that for her. And I know you both will as well. Because I can inflict pain if I have to. I am ginger after all. Just having her close by will be enough ... And I'll eventually move on ... I know she doesn't feel the same way because if she felt an ounce of what I do right now, she wouldn't have done this to me. I do, however, think this is _crazy_. I am dragging two people across the country that probably had better things to do with their weekend than join me on my _aca-crazy_ endeavours and -"

"- Chloe, stop. This is silly. You have hardly dragged either Amy or me anywhere. I do not recall you ever asking me to come with you. I decided to step up and help. The whole summer ... the entire summer, you have spent looking for her, searching for her; spending goodness knows how much money, time and effort. It has cost you your boyfriend. OK, so things obviously were not all perfect and rosy there but it hit me earlier today that I love Beca too. And I understand a lot of things about her which I, perhaps, did not quite appreciate before. But, above all of this Chloe, I realised that if ever I was in need of help, ever lost, alone or frightened that you would be there. Without fail. Without question. And I understood you better this morning than I ever done before. My weekend plans that you think you have ruined were merely things to do. A list that I could tick things off from. This ..." Aubrey swept her hands between the three of them, before gesturing outside towards the parking lot and her car. "... this is far more important. You never gave up on me. And I know I am not the easiest person to know. To like. To love. To be friends with. But you stuck by me. You have stood up for me. And against me. And I am grateful for that. I am a better person for knowing you. I love you Chloe Beale. I always have done and I always, always will."

"Wow, Aubrey ... I'm ..."

"What she said Red!" Amy said as she chased the last bit of pasta from the bowl before giving up and throwing down her fork. "My plans for the weekend included shaving ma nipple hair, so it's all good."

"Gross." Aubrey gagged again.

"Well Blondie, I can't quite match what yoos said." Amy dug her elbow unto Aubrey's ribs as Aubrey rolled her eyes at her comment. "But Chloe ... dear Chloe, I didn't quite realise that yoos had such a thing for Short Stack. And it sounds like yoos didn't either until she left. Absence makes the heart grow fonder huh? I was shocked when she took off. Not really sure why she ran. I thought the herpes outbreak at Barden was her or she'd been caught with her pants down somewhere. But hey, I just accept stuff as it's said. Story comes later. And yeah, the Jesse thing. She was clearly never really into him. Yoos could tell by the way she never closed her eyes when she kissed him. I don't get why she took off and never gave us as much as a hooroo. But yoos need to know she is safe. Yoos need to do this. And I am literally stoked that yoos guys asked me to come along. Yoos twig bitches are pretty cool."

"Thanks, both of you really. I can't really speak right now but thank you."

"Well, we have seven minutes before we are scheduled to leave so shall we order some hot chocolate to go. I have got enough on my calorie counter to allow myself a small indulgence. And Chloe, no arguments, but I am getting you a sandwich to go for the car and I want to see you eat it within an hour." Aubrey spoke softly as she scanned the diner for their waitress, signally kindly with her eyes when she found her. Turning her attention back to Chloe, the controlling catch back in her voice. "Although, I would appreciate you not getting crumbs on the upholstery."

Chloe just smiled as Aubrey spoke to the waitress, ordering their drinks and a sandwich, and asking for the check.

"So Red, tell me about the email thingy. Yoos been emailing hotels across the country, right?" Amy asked as Aubrey excused herself to use the restroom, picking up the money from the table that Amy had thrown down earlier in payment of her losing the funny story game.

"Hmmm." Chloe said, fatigue really starting to set in, as she rubbed her eyes. "I called the hotel about an hour ago as you know. And yes, thank you again for reminding me to call! I never even thought it could be a hoax until you said that. Did I not tell you what was said? Sorry."

"No, but that's probably by the time yoos joined us, I had ma head in the menu, licking the photos."

Chloe smiled again as she recalled the conversation that she had with Pete, the owner of the Whole Year Inn in Henderson with Amy.

**.o0o.**

_"Good evening, Whole Year Inn."_ Rang out the unmistakable tone of a bored receptionist.

"Hello and good evening to you too sir. Is this the Whole Year Inn in Henderson County, Nevada?" Chloe asked as she indicated for Aubrey and Amy to go into the restaurant and get a table without her.

_"Yip."_

"Yay. My name is Chloe Beale."

_"How many?"_

"Pardon me?"

_"How many nights you want?"_

"Oh no, sorry, I'm calling for information about one of your residents."

_"Nah, don't do that shit."_

"Excuse me?"

_"I don't give out details."_

"Oh. Please let me explain a moment."

_"Are you lookin' to stay here?"_

"Not at the moment. I'm calling about B ..."

_"You're tying up the line."_

"I'm just calling ..."

_"Look lady, if you're lonely, there are other numbers to call."_

"I'm not lonely. I'm calling to ask you ..."

_"As preddy as your voice is, I've got me some other calls to take. I don't want to be rude but I'm going to have to go if you don't want a room."_

"Is B ...?"

_"No, you have to go."_

"Can I ask a question please?"

_"Bye now."_

"I WANT A ROOM." Chloe shouted.

_"You do want a room? You one of those new age lot that is smoking the dopes?"_

"No sir, why would you think that?"

_"Cos you sounded then like you don't know what's you want."_

"What?"

_"Changing your mind like a typical woman."_

"Oh."

_"How many nights?"_

"Erm, one night."

_"One bed?"_

"No, there will be three of us. We are meeting one of your resid ..."

_"You into that sort of thing?"_

"What?"

_"Threesomes?"_

"Aca-scuse me?"

_"What the ferk was that?"_

"What?"

_"That noise you made?"_

"I said excuse me, didn't I?"

_"Dunno. Dang girl! That was a weird noise. Aca shit something."_

"May I ask a question?"

_"Yes ma'am, I'll be available to join you in your sexcapades."_

"Oh my God!"

_"I've been called that before."_

"How do you even ... ? How do you get guests with that attitude?"

_"Everyone around here knows Pete."_

"Who's Pete?"

_"Me."_

Chloe puffed out her cheeks and blew out the air in her mouth.

_"You still there? You sound like you're somewhere windy?"_

"No, I'm still here. Please may I make a reservation for two rooms for one night, starting tomorrow?"

_"Yes. That's fine. Name?"_

"Chloe."

_"Second name?"_

"Fat Amy."

_"Didn't your mama like you much?"_

"Aca-s ... excuse me?"

_"Your middle name is Fat Amy. Just a bit bizarre, that all."_

"Oh, my middle name is Anne-Marie."

_"Why'd you say Fat Amy?"_

"That's the name of the second room."

_"Our rooms have numbers. One through twenty, we don't have a thirteen though. Too much voodoo shit."_

"I don't even know what you are saying. What ..."

_"Who's Fat Amy then?"_

"My friend."

_"You call your friend Fat Amy?"_

"Yes, so people don't say behind her back. We say it to her front."

_"Why?"_

"Oh ... she's Australian, we didn't question it."

_"She sounds like my kind of woman. Give her my number?"_

"Oh my God. Please put both rooms in my name. I'm paying when I arrive."

_"Credit card."_

"I don't have one with me."

_"I'll need one to secure the room."_

"Oh, yes of course. Erm ... will you take an Amex Prepay?"

_"No. Not Amex. You rich?"_

"Erm ..."

_"Tell you what, you sound nice and I've enjoyed talking to you. I'll put you down as a walk up tomorrow."_

"Thank you. I appreciate it, Sir. I have one question, please."

_"No pool."_

"No, that's fine."

_"No bar either."_

"No, that's OK."

_"Anything else?"_

"Yes! Please listen a moment. My name is Chloe Beale and I wrote you an email about my friend Beca Mitchell."

_"Chloe ... Becky Mitchell?"_

"Beca, yes."

_"Beca? Oh! You're the chick from Atlanta!"_

"Yes!"

_"You still lookin' for your friend?"_

"Yes! It's the reason we are coming to Nevada. We are coming to get her."

_"She's been here a long, long time. Rent paid up early each week, gave her discount for length of time. She looks ill though. Tired looking, you know. Quiet girl. Young. Skinny. A whole lot of crap in her ears. Keeps to herself. Preddy little thing though. Nice ass."_

"Yes, that's her. Is she still with you?"

_"Yes. Is that why you are staying here tomorrow night?"_

"Oh totes!" Chloe said, trying not to mouth _'obviously'_ afterwards.

_"Why didn't you just say earlier? Could have saved yourself a lot of conversation."_

"I tri ... yes, I should have done. Mr Pete, we'll be there by tomorrow night. Please take my number and let me know if she looks like she is leaving."

_"What time is your flight coming in?"_

"We're driving. We are about 10 miles from Oklahoma at the moment."

_"Ferk girl, you gotta a long way to come."_

"I know sir."

_"She a good kind of friend?"_

"The best kind."

_"I can't make promises but I'll try and keep her here until you get here. She ain't due to leave until Monday. What's your number?"_

"It's 202-555-0135. Thank you. I appreciate your help, Mr Pete, I really do."

_"I like the way you say my name. I have a question for you."_

"Shoot."

_"Are you single?"_


	12. More Than Meets The Eye

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Twelve - More Than Meets The Eye .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Beca woke early on Sunday morning, early enough that it was still dark outside but light enough to let her know it was almost dawn. Waking early was nothing unusual for her anymore except the hunger pangs she had felt in her belly for the past few weeks were all but gone. As she lay in her bed, thankful for the peaceful feeling that had washed over her, she allowed herself to think of where she was going to go next. She was surprised what a few crackers and some fruit had done for her, giving her much needed strength and clarity.

Placing her hand over her stomach, fingers lightly dancing over the small, well rounded bump, Beca rolled over on to her side. She raised her head up and stuffed the second, thin pillow underneath her neck, popping her shoulder back and leaning into the mattress. She ran a finger over the bed sheet, shiny from years of use and boiled washes, tracing patterns across the creases in the sheets. It was the boredom that Beca hated the most. Sure, the television provided a distraction on occasion but the small, flickering, boxy screen gave her a headache after a while. Plus the three channels she could receive were the news channel, a children's cartoon channel and a shopping channel. Not exactly high end viewing. But sporadically, she enjoyed the break in monotony and she used it to check the time, having neither a watch nor a phone.

Beca knew she would be seeing Maggie today. She still didn't know how she felt about her. Beca knew she didn't trust many people. That was nothing new and no surprise to anyone. She could count on the fingers of one hand how many she people she had cared about in her life. There was her Mom, of course. She would never find anyone like her Mom and she missed her every single day. Beca had stopped telling people that her Mom had died when she was sixteen. She couldn't handle the other person's discomfort as well as her own pain each time someone asked. She just withdrew into herself even more, shutting out the world around her.

Her Mom was her rock and they just had each other for the longest time, since her Dad had left to start a new life with Sheila. Her Mom's death from a car accident had torn them apart before Beca could say goodbye. Three years later, the pain was still there but Beca allowed herself to think of a few happy thoughts while she lay in bed, before moving her mind along.

After the funeral, her Dad had insisted that she move down to Atlanta immediately. Beca had other ideas and spent three months avoiding her Dad. The house that they had lived in went through to foreclosure, the furniture sold to pay the legal fees and the funeral but Beca had managed to salvage a few personal possessions before she had to leave. She had lied to the State and told them she wasn't in contact with her father so she was sent to live with a foster family until she turned eighteen. She hated it there. Obviously, she was Beca Mitchell after all. They wouldn't let her play her music when she wanted to start with, insisting on family time and shared activities. When it became abundantly clear that she was unwilling to join in, they relented and let her live out her time with them on her own.

She had grown quite fond of them before she left and had appreciated their hard work towards her and left them a card and a large bunch of flowers on the day she left. That was about as much as she could do. Fully intending to leave their home to go to Los Angeles, she was surprised when the plane ticket turned up on her 18th birthday from her father; a one way ticket to Atlanta to attend Barden University , with a letter explaining that he wanted a second chance to get to know his only daughter a little better. Knowing she didn't have the funds to get to LA herself and subconsciously needing a parental figure in her life, she agreed to try it, regretting her decision on the day she turned up at Barden.

There was a boy in High School she had gotten close to. Jared. He was quiet and distant, closed up and moody. He gravitated towards Beca and she accepted his friendship, however weird it seemed to the outside world. He was someone to spend time with; they would sit on the swings in the park, not giving a _flying fuck_ about anyone else. They would share the bottles of beer he had snuck out of his dad's fridge, swigging as they swung, never talking, just being together. They would lend each other support through tests and exams and she would hold him tightly to her when he showed her the bruises and marks; the results of brutal beatings from his father. He would listen to her first attempts at mashing music together, never laughing when it didn't go well but not telling her what to change. Just listening.

It took them just four months to become a couple and they found solace from the world; the kind of peace and quiet that comes from loving someone else. They started sleeping together not long after that and she found real comfort in his arms, the first sense of love from anyone but her Mom. But as usual, the happiness bubble was not to last and after a particular vicious beating that had seen Jared turn up at Beca's door at four in the morning, coughing up blood, he had been taken to hospital by her foster parents who sat with her while he was in surgery for punctured lungs, damaged kidneys and a perforated diaphragm. He hadn't really stood a chance and didn't make it through the gruelling surgery. The doctors were sympathetic of course, they said the right words and they offered her condolences. She hadn't really known how to feel, still raw from her Mom's passing. So she retreated into herself. Protecting herself. Ignoring the rush of blood in her ears when someone mentioned either of their names.

She hadn't let anyone else into her world for such a long time until Jesse came along. With his goofiness, endearing qualities and tireless enthusiasm, he had taken over a little piece of her heart. Not enough for her to lose herself to him completely, because yeah, _that_ never ended well, but enough that she found she missed him when he wasn't around or they hadn't spoken that day. It took a while for her to accept him though and it wasn't until Spring Break, and being at Barden on her own had given her time to muse over this, that she realised that she did care for him.

Narrowly avoiding losing him forever, she had taken her Dad's heartfelt advice and apologised. It had worked up to a fashion, they had slept together; a truly awful night but one she was almost prepared to forgive on account of them both being drunk and Jesse being too eager. But then her birthday popped up, the surprise party getting in the way of her talking to him about it all. And she still hadn't been able to fathom, all these months later, what he thought he was doing when he dropped to his knees, a mischievous grin on his face.

She'd felt the bile rise in her throat that night at whatever game he was playing at. She really didn't know what he was thinking. Was he actually proposing to her with that _stupid_ little black velvet box or was it a wind up? One of his stupid jokes perhaps? All she could think of in that moment, as she ran out of the door was that the queasiness in her belly was worse when he was around. She had turned towards the dorms, fully intending to lock her dorm door and not answer anyone who dared to come within six feet of her. She was acutely aware of someone running after her and she knew by the clacking of heels that it wasn't Jesse. She had purposefully walked quicker to get away from, who she rightly assumed was, Aubrey and Chloe but they caught up to her, Chloe clutching at her arm in an attempt to get her to stop.

Beca had rounded on her friend. Stopped dead in her tracks and spun around, hair flicking across her face and she knew her eyes must have been blazing. She had stood there with clenched fists. Actual tight fisted hands, ready to swing if she had to. Even at that beautiful face in front of her. Those cerulean blue orbs in front of her, begging her to open up, to explain what had just happened. Didn't Chloe realise after knowing her for months, that trying to tame Beca was nigh on impossible, trying to _touch_ her while she was angry was like a red rag to a bull. Chloe, with all that intellect leaking out of her pores, was hopelessly stupid to feelings sometimes and Beca couldn't fathom why Chloe didn't take the regular hints that Beca threw her way. She was trying to push her away, like all the time, and yet Beca yearned for Chloe's affections, friendship, alliance and love but was not prepared to act on it.

Beca didn't want someone else to get hurt because of her, she was a blackness, a dark vortex that engorged people's souls and made them leave her. She was the cause and she was the reason why people died. A cancer of despair. And she didn't want Chloe to see this and get hurt. So she held her at arm's length, sometimes unconsciously letting her close and needing her friendship like ice cream needs chocolate sauce and then shoving her away in a panic and retreating into her own world when things got too familiar.

So she had shouted at Chloe, told her to leave her be, that she had some things to sort out and to leave her alone. And this had been true. Beca had had an inkling that something was different about her for a few days, with the crying in secret, the soreness of her breasts, the endless dreams about her future, how the smell of food made her feel odd and lightheaded and her urge to pee all the time. That and the fact that she was late that month. And uncharacteristically for Beca, this was one thing she was never late with. And she thought she knew what was going on, planning on taking a test within a few days to confirm her suspicions.

And she had hated herself as she shouted at Chloe, it hadn't been her fault, she wasn't to know what was going on in Beca's head. The face Chloe pulled nearly broke Beca's heart. And Chloe would have been the perfect person to have told her fears too. She wouldn't have judged, passed comment or told her what to do. Beca knew this as she lay in her bed, in a mouldy motel, in Vegas, far away from everyone. Chloe would have given her a hug, told her everything would have been okay, sat down with her, talked with her and probably would have suggested involving Jesse into it all straight away which Beca knew she should have done. She would have made the completely fucked up situation she found herself in better somehow. So Beca did what she had always done in the past, something she was pretty good at and closed up before her friends eyes, pulled herself away from Chloe's grasp and stared daggers at Aubrey.

The fifth person Beca would admit that she trusted was Aubrey. And this surprised her. And she almost smirked as she thought it would have shocked the heck out of Aubrey too if she knew. She understood Aubrey. She may not have liked her in the beginning, because let's face it, Aubrey never gave her reason to but as the year had worn on, cracks began to show in Aubrey's façade. She had touched her hand after one Bella's practice and while Beca had recoiled like she had been burnt, there was a look on Aubrey's face that almost showed recognition, empathy and compassion. Like she knew of Beca's past, her losses, her hurt and pain. Beca had hardly known anything about Aubrey then. She had imagined Aubrey had had the perfect life, the perfect childhood, the perfect schools, ballet recitals and bridge evenings. It was only after one of Fat Amy's many parties celebrating the ICCA win, where Aubrey had been very keen to become best friends with a large bottle of expensive Merlot, that she learned a lot more than she had bargained for from her Bella's Captain.

Aubrey, in a pretty full on intoxicated state, spilled some of her past out to Beca, the words tumbling over each other in an effort to leave her lips. Beca had gone out onto the Quad outside their dorm for some fresh air, finding the eighth round of Aussie Beer Pong a bit over the top. Aubrey had followed her a few minutes later, aberrantly invading Beca's privacy, as she half fell into her lap, knocking the brunette flat on her back. With an anxiously cuddly Aubrey pinned to her side, legs entwined with Beca's, there was little that Beca could do but listen to Aubrey's numb-tongue speech, sporadically interspersed with a few Merlot flavoured hiccups for good measure.

"The thingth isth Beca, we areth quite alike in a lotsth of waysth. Do you knowsth that? Your Dad isth a complete assth hole and stho isth mine."

"You okay there Aubrey? You know it's Beca, right? Do you need me to get you Chloe?"

"I wanted to fuckth Chloe when I firsth meth her. Didn't you?" Aubrey said as her almost regal poise slipped.

"Not the very first thought that crossed my mind, no."

"Oh come on, you twosth with all of your eye sexth and touthing and sniggerwing."

"She's like that with everyone."

"Yesth, but mosthly with youth." Aubrey almost spat out.

"I don't think so! Are you jealous or something?"

"Good Godth, no! She'sth my bestesth friend. Ever. In. The. Worldth. But she doesn'th geth my father. Did youth know my mother left usth both the day I was born? Mmm hmm. He resented me ... for ... ever ... for ith. He hatesth me. Hatesth me. Said I killed her becasueth I wasth born. Had to take a desk jobth. Had to give up a Lieutenant‑General position to take careth of me. I never wasth goodth enough for him. I tried Beca. I tried. Nothing isth good enough."

Beca recalled the rest of the conversation with Aubrey clearly. Aubrey described the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father, nothing violent or degrading but daily loveless, anger fuelled interactions that damaged a young girl's head and heart permanently. Even perfect scores on tests and exams failed to excite her father. There were never any birthday parties, Thanksgiving, Christmases, outings or treats. Aubrey had just accepted it and ploughed all of her efforts into trying to please her guiltless father who dutifully spent his money on her, more to impress his friends at the Country Club rather than for his only daughter's benefits, paying for elocution lessons because of her slight nervous lisp, three types of music lesson, sports, dance classes, all designed to keep her out of the house as much as possible.

Taxis were organised to take her everywhere she needed to go and it wasn't unusual for her not to see her father for weeks on end. But all Aubrey had wanted was to be tucked in at night, be read a bedtime story, to have help with her homework, to go to the park on a warm sunny day, to have her father buy her an ice cream, to have him say one kind word. But nothing was good enough, despite her efforts. He would read her report cards, glare at her over the top of his glasses and go back to what he was doing before she interrupted him, she would tremble while waiting, needing his signature on the return slip. Turning her attention towards college years later, she had chosen one that was about as far away from her father as possible and the rest was history.

Aubrey didn't mention the conversation again and Beca never brought it up. There was an unspoken covenant between the two of them that they acknowledged was there but that was it, Beca recalled. And as hard as she shoved Chloe out of the way that night, ignored Aubrey's attempt to calm her down, using a soft voice that Beca had never heard before, it was nothing to what Beca had done to Jesse. She had turned, run into him and remembered telling him that she didn't love him; she would have told him anything to get him to let go of her wrists, held in his vice like grasp. She recalled the last things she had said to him.

_"NO JESSE! I can't right now. This has all gone wrong. You've made a mistake in loving me. I'll ruin your life. This has got out of hand. I can't be who you want me to be. I'm a terrible person. Please leave me alone." Beca had yelled and pushed him wildly away with her hands. Jesse had then attempted to grab at her wrists, which was a mistake. Beca had pushed him harder this time and yelled as she ran away. "I don't love you Jesse. Fuck this. Fuck you!"_

She remembered glancing back as she got to the crossroads; saw Chloe clutching at Aubrey's shirt calling after Jesse. She saw him shortening the distance between them as she picked up the pace, doing anything to gain some space between them. She'd put a good couple of hundred feet between them when she heard a sickening screech of tyres and had spun around just in time to see one of the local brewery's trucks slam into Jesse as he crossed the intersection.

Feeling a fear like nothing else she had experienced in her young life, despite her previous experiences, she screamed out Jesse's name as she ran over to his body, ignoring the truck driver that had pulled his vehicle to the side of the road, who had already alighted from the cab and was bending over his body, digging around in his pocket for his phone by the time Beca had got there. She collapsed on her knees beside him, her hands flailing all over his body, not quite knowing whether she dare touch him, knowing not to move him, but needing to do something.

Her fingers had found his carotid artery and she had pressed her fingers into his flesh, feeling nothing in return for her probing. She felt Chloe come up beside her, pulling her away from him. She looked down and saw the ground beneath his head was damp, acutely aware that the claret puddle spreading slowly outwards was his life force slipping out of him. She heard Aubrey on her phone, calling for help, speaking clearly into the phone, her dignity and manner remaining cool and calm and very Posen like. She had felt Chloe's arms sweep around her waist, holding her tightly as Beca screamed for Jesse to wake up, knowing the last words he had heard her say were in anger and despair.

Beca knew that this was all her fault. She knew that she couldn't have stayed where she was. She had to go, to leave, to go far, far away for a little while. Unable to cope with all that had been presented to her that evening, she struggled against Chloe, almost clawing at her hands to get away, pinching at the skin on her best friend's arms in an effort to get her to release her grip. She had almost head-butted Chloe as she bucked against her, straining to get away. With more strength than she realised she had, she placed both feet firmly on the ground and forced herself upright. Chloe, sitting in an awkward position on the floor, couldn't contain Beca on her lap and by the time she reached out to grab Beca again, she was gone.

By the time Beca stopped running, she was lost. Having never ventured that far out of the Barden University campus on her own, she didn't know where she was. And she was also cold. Inwardly groaning to herself at her own stupidity for leaving her jacket and phone behind, she walked around for a while, looking for a café or somewhere to sit for an hour or two, have a drink and collect her thoughts. She came upon the bus terminal which was nestled just behind the train station, almost out of sight, as if an afterthought.

Beca saw the notice for a coffee shop and headed towards the worn sign promising decent coffee for a dollar. She pushed open the door, which let out an eerie squeak, signalling her entrance to all the patrons within. Ignoring the glances she received, she headed for the counter and placed an order for a hot tea, before sliding onto a rickety chair, clearly in need of repair as one of the legs was clearly a good two inches shorter than the others. Placing her elbows on the wobbly table, she leaned in, using her legs to tuck the chair in behind her. She cupped her hands together and rested her chin on her palms, blowing out the tension in her jaw.

As her hot water and tea bag arrived, placed lazily on the table in front of her causing some of the water to spill over the side, she tried to rationalise her thoughts and she thanked the waitress, a bored looking twenty-something year old whose gum smacking abilities were second to none.

Jesse's accident wasn't her fault. She knew that deep down but she'd left him there. He was dead. She'd felt no pulse. But Chloe and Aubrey were there. They'd know how to deal with it because they were Chloe and Aubrey, and they knew everything. But she'd still left Jesse, when he needed her to be there the most. Chloe would have understood her need to not be involved. Although she'd never told Chloe everything about her Mom and Jared, she knew she had shared enough that Chloe had taken the hint that there had been drama and sadness in her life and she had lost important people.

Beca needed to get away from Barden for a few days. To clear her head. To think. She left her tea untouched, the water having gone cold while she sat thinking. She exited the coffee shop and made her way to the ticket booth, thinking she would get the bus to a nearby city and stay in a hotel for a couple of days to clear her head, before calling Chloe and asking her to come and get her.

As she waited behind the customer being served, her eyes fell to the departure board and she scanned through the available destinations. Her eyes settled on a particular destination, one that she had always wanted to go to, one that she should have gone to at the start of the last school year. With her mind racing, and her brain calculating how much it would cost to restart a life in Los Angeles, she was called to the booth and asked where she wanted to go.

"Los Angeles please."

"Return price is ..."

"No, just a single."

"That'll be three hundred and twelve dollars, seventy three cents please."

"Um ... okay." Beca reached into her back pocket and withdraw her birthday money. She rifled through her notes, pulling out the required amount, noting that that was half of the money gone. She told herself it would be okay, that'd she'd be working by the end of the week and it would all be good.

"Bus departs at 11.25pm, you'll need to transfer at Dallas, Texas onto the 1403 and pick that up. Transfer at Las Vegas onto the 6362. There'll be a layover there for three hours. Here ... this is your ticket. Go to this departure point here. Here is the itinerary. Don't lose it; you'll need it for the onward journey. Here is your change."

"Thanks." Beca said, taking the ticket and information. "Thanks for your help."

"You're welcome. Have a great night. Next please."

And as Beca sat on the stone bench near to where her bus was departing, she willed the clock ticking above her head to move faster before she changed her mind. She was doing the right thing. She had gotten her boyfriend killed, not on purpose but still because of her. She had rejected and pushed away her friends. They would eventually forget about her. She knew she had made the right decision to leave. She was even prepared to leave her music equipment behind. But Beca had still left Jesse and the more she thought about, the more paranoid she became, thinking ... believing ... knowing that it was her fault and that the law enforcement would try to pin the blame on her for running away in the first place, causing Jesse to follow her into the road, into the path of the truck.

She _should_ have told Jesse what was going on inside of her. This would _never_ have happened. If only she had been honest sooner.

**.o0o.**

Beca was still laying in bed drawing shapes on the bed sheets when the air conditioner kicked in, noisily pulling her from her thoughts. She silently cursed the machine as she sat up in bed, folding her legs, interlocking her ankles, knowing that the machine usually kicked in at around nine in the morning. She looked over to her jeans and shirt, the only clothes she had worn for three months and she suddenly hated the sight of them. Reaching for her shirt to pull over her head because, despite being alone in the room, she was naked underneath the blankets, having washed her underwear in the sink as she did every day and she was never quite sure if the creepy owner Pete had spy cameras in the rooms so usually used a bed sheet as a toga. Feeling the need for a hot shower, she pushed the blankets off her hips down to her knees, She was about to unfold her legs to scoot off the side of the bed, when she looked down and saw the dried blood caked to the inside of her thighs.


	13. I Dare You To Lick Your Elbow

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Thirteen - I Dare You To Lick Your Elbow .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

"Ready to go?" Aubrey said, returning from the restroom, having collected the hot drinks and Chloe's sandwich and paying the check on her way back. "Chloe, you look exhausted. You need to sleep."

"I know Bree, I'm okay though. I'll drive for a while and take my turn now." Chloe stated as she scooted along the booth.

"No, I _will_ pull rank on you." Aubrey stiffened and nodded.

"Bree! I'm fine." Chloe said, standing and adjusting her belt buckle, pulling it around to the front of her jeans.

"As Chief-In-Charge Co-Captain of the Barden Bella's ..."

"Really Aubrey, really? You are going with that?" Chloe asked, a mischievous grin appearing on her face, as she smoothed out her shirt.

"... I am telling you that Amy and I are going to drive through the night and you can take a turn in the morning." Aubrey said, ignoring Chloe's comment and handing her the hot chocolates and sandwich.

"Hell yeah!" Amy said, desperate to get back behind the wheel again. "Living in the Outback, we'd drive six hundred miles to do a weekly shop. And most of our trucks don't have windows. Or doors. And we drive at night, you know, to avoid the dingoes. I'm used to this night-time sizzle. But my motto is '_never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly_' or something like that but yeah ... potholes just add to the excitement. And there is always the challenge of how many bugs you can catch on your windscreen. Hey, Aubrey, can we tie something to the front of your Caddy?"

"What? No!" Aubrey bristled, looking at Amy incredulously.

"Aww, come on. We could buy one of those teddy bears from the gift shop and string it to the front! Heeeey ... gift shop? Why does a Cracker Barrel have a gift shop?"

"It's America, everywhere has a gift shop!" Chloe remarked.

"Right on!" Amy said, marching towards the front of the shop as Aubrey hesitated at the door, wondering whether to grab Amy's arm to get her to go outside, or support Chloe, who looked like she was about to collapse with exhaustion and tiredness.

"You can hardly keep your eyes open sweetheart." Aubrey said to Chloe, as she wrapped an arm around her best friend's' waist, pulling her into her shoulder. "You need to get some sleep. How about I promise you that I will set the cruise control at seventy five miles per hour if you promise to go to sleep?"

"Aubrey Posen, breaking a rule!" Chloe teased, pulling out of Aubrey's embrace as she pushed open the door to the warmth of the evening outside.

"What? Breaking a rule. No?"

"It's seventy miles an hour until Texas, New Mexico and Arizona."

"Oh." Aubrey looked defeated as her own self-indulgent-bravery-disclaimer-bubble burst, unlocking the car with her key fob.

"But Amy can keep a look out." Chloe said quickly, disappointed in her friends crushed face, sad she had caused that. She needed sleep, she was getting nit picky. "You know, for the cops, so you don't ... you know ... get caught, and have to run from the state troopers because we know you'd be the best at avoiding jail time!"

"Too right!" Amy said, running to join them at the car, holding a rather large teddy bear, catching the last dregs of the conversation. "We'd be like Thelma and Louise! Plus one hostage! Runnin' from the law!"

"What?" Aubrey asked, climbing into the driver's seat.

"Oh yoos know." Amy started as she threw the teddy bear on the back seat, forgetting her plan to tie the soft object to the front grille of the car.

"Not really." Aubrey blanched.

"Life is too short for traffic." Chloe quoted as she clicked her seat in from the back seat, removing the sandwich from the bag beside her, taking note of Aubrey's confused face in the rear view mirror as she started the engine, putting the car into reverse and backing out of the space.

"A tree never hits an automobile except in self defence." Amy quipped back, pulling the seatbelt over her shoulder and clicking it into place.

"Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac!" Chloe said, taping her hand holding one of the hot chocolates on Amy's shoulder. "Here, take this and put it in the front for Bree ... and here ... here's yours."

"The speedway ends at the cemetery. And thanks chick!" Amy took the cups from Chloe.

"Until you've learned to drive, you've never really learned how to swear." Chloe remarked with a grin.

"Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic. It's true. I've noticed." Amy nodded enthusiastically at Aubrey as she slipped the gears into drive.

"Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand brake on." Chloe said.

"I used to keep my love in the trunk." Amy said, quizzically. "And I'd drive real slowly over speed bumps, so he doesn't bash his head around."

"Haha! I can just imagine Bumper in the trunk of a car!"

"He won't let me drive anyway. Something about being a liability on the roads and not looking where I am going."

"The fool!" Chloe laughed out loud, knowing _exactly_ what Bumper had meant.

"Two wrongs don't make a right you know ... but three lefts do."

"What?" Aubrey was really confused now.

"Oh you know what we need in here ... one of those lorry ... sorry truck ... chains that hang from the ceiling ... the ones that hook up to your horn?"

"What on earth would you do that for?" Aubrey asked, joining in the conversation properly.

"You know ... pull on the chain and your horn goes ... HOOOOONK ... HOOOOONK ... HOOOOONK" Amy said, mimicking the action of pulling a cord from the car ceiling. "In Australia, if they can't repair your brakes, they just make your horn louder. It's a system. It works."

"Oh my God. Am I the only one making any sense here tonight?" You will be the death of me. Both of you. Chloe ... eat your sandwich. Amy ... drink your chocolate. And let us have some calm for a while ... Now, why is my car making that beeping noise? Amy, what did you press? Oh! ... It is the seatbelt light. Who failed to put their seatbelt on?" Aubrey demanded, before realising it was her. She reached out a hand to pull on the seatbelt.

"Aubrey! Buckle up! Buckle up! It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car when you're buckled!"

"Really? Really?" Aubrey started before letting the smile ghost over her lips, as Chloe belly laughed in the back of the car, watching Aubrey fasten her seatbelt.

"Fair dinkum mate. I don't lie." Amy deadpanned.

"Amy, I may not have said it but ..." Aubrey placed a hand to her chest, over her heart. "... I'm _really_ glad you are here."

"You may not be saying that in twenty four hours Blondie! But thanks. Glad I could keep you chicks entertained. How much longer before we stop for breakfast?"

"Let's push it for another ten hours if we can manage it guys." Chloe suggested from the back. "That will put in the region of Albuquerque. We'll be two thirds of the way then. And on the home stretch for this leg of the journey."

"Time for some songs then. Let's have a sing song."

"We need to keep the volume down. Chloe must sleep."

"Okay, let's play truth or dare until Red falls asleep."

"How are we going to play truth or dare in a car?"

"Oh mate, I've got everything covered. If you can't do yoos dare, yoos have to answer two truths. Aussie rules. I'm so bored of the Chloe Beale Old Generation Road or whatever we are calling it. We've been on this road forever."

"It is the I-40, it goes on forever."

"I hear ya. Aubrey, you go first ..."

"Why me?"

"Because yoos are in charge. Remember?"

"Okay then. Dare. Just to prove you wrong, I choose dare."

"Right on Blondie. I'll make it easy as yoos driving. I dare yoos to lick your elbow."

"Lick my elbow. That is impossible. No one can ..." Aubrey tried to bend her elbow to one side and poked out her tongue. "... lickth ... thierth ..." Aubrey twisted her arm again, placing her hand on her shoulder to try to reach the crook of her arm. "... elbowth."

"Do yoos give up Blondie?"

"You tricked me?!"

"Pretty much. Two truths. Chloe gets to ask one and so do I."

"This is a silly game."

"Only because yoos are losing. Chloe, yoos go first."

"Oh, this could be hard. I know a lot about Bree already! Amy, you ask both questions."

"Okay. Number one, what is the worst thing that you hate about being a girl?"

"Oh, that is easy. My father's disapproval. He always wanted a son to carry on his traditional values. I am a big disappointment to him and he never let me forget it. I tried really hard to be perfect for him. He was quite happy to stump up the funding for our apartment, because it was something he could boast about at the country club and he really didn't want me to come home. It was never about doing something _for_ me."

"Erm ... Blondie ... sorry, didn't mean to stir that up."

"You haven't." Aubrey answered truthfully. "Next."

"Number two, who was yoos first proper crush?"

"Haha, erm ... sorry, OK, it is not erm ... *cough* ... yes, well ... we ... it was ... *cough* oooh ... not sure I sh ... *cough* haha ... oooh look, I think that's a shooting star."

"Aubrey? Really?" Chloe said from the back seat, somewhat enjoying see her best friend squirm in the front seat. "Truth Aubrey."

"Who was it?" Amy asked again as she watched Aubrey's face flush, never before seeing her lose her cool.

"It was Chloe."

"Our Chloe? Red? The 'ginga ninja'? Her?" Amy asked, thumbing towards the back seat.

"Yes! We shared a dorm freshman year. I had come from a loveless family and this power pack, ball of energy launched herself at me and became my first ever real friend. It led to me always being a little in love with her."

"Did yoos two ever act on it?"

"That was my two questions and you are not getting anything else out of me." Aubrey said firmly.

"Yoos so know I am gonna ask yoos later on it." Amy said. "Chloe, yoos next. Truth or dare?"

"Oh totes truth."

"Did yoos and Bree ever act on -"

"- AMY!" Aubrey yelled.

"Okay, okay!" Amy grinned. "Chloe, what is the most embarrassing thing you have ever done?"

"Oh ... Tom and I went to Miami for the weekend. We went out for a swim and we were getting jiggy in the ocean. We saw a manatee in the distance and I wanted to take a picture of it so ran out of the sea to get my camera, completely forgetting I had stripped off in the water. I wasn't really all that embarrassed because you know ..." Chloe gestured to herself in the darkening car. "... I'm pretty confident about all this. It was only totes embarrassing when people clapped."

"You push doors that are meant to be pulled as well. That is pretty embarrassing." Aubrey laughed.

"Well yes, my genius tendencies are not built for the most basic of tasks Bree! I'm going to rest my eyes for a bit guys, let you two talk for a while. Wake me up when we hit Albuquerque."


	14. The Desperate Wait For News

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Fourteen - The Desperate Wait For News .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - I just wanted to give a heads up about this chapter, just for any trigger warnings with regard to pregnancy. Please know it is not my intention to upset anyone with this chapter.**

**I wholeheartedly thank all my readers for hanging on in there with this story. I know it's been a long time coming.  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Beca sat as still as she possibly could in the middle of her bed, petrified to make even the slightest of movements. She didn't know what to do. In her confused and frightened state of mind, she thought that if she moved off the bed, her unborn baby, the little person inside her who she had yet to meet would somehow slip out of her and she would lose everything she had tried so hard to keep safe.

She tried to keep calm, tried to control her breathing, knowing stressing out could cause, what she deemed now as inevitable, for her to lose her baby. She gently edged off the bed. Slowly. She had lain in bed for the longest time that morning, thinking, rehashing, reliving her past mistakes, completely unaware that she had been bleeding. And while she was acutely mindful there wasn't a huge amount of blood on her legs, it was a lot more than should be there.

Beca stood slowly, trying to feel if anything was different before she moved to the bathroom. She felt lightheaded, panic ripping through her core, the anxiety making her heart pound in her chest. She felt no pain except for a dull ache in her abdomen. And the deafening roar all around her as the blood rushed through her ears.

Feeling braver, she carefully stepped into the bathroom, collecting a washcloth from the rack before sitting on the edge of the bathtub for a moment to steady her legs. She thought she had felt alone before now, but that ... that was nothing to the feeling she was experiencing right now.

Silently cursing herself for not having the sense to go back home three months ago, back to her friends, the ones who would be with her right now, helping her, supporting her; she would even have gladly accepted help from her stepmother, Sheila, right now.

Anything.

Bringing herself back to the moment and the task at hand, she rose from the edge of the bath, intending to clean herself up as best she could, knowing that it was imperative that she get some help. And fast. This was no time to shut herself away, and pull the covers over her head and pretend that she could deal with whatever tomorrow She has spent three months living by herself, with her own thoughts, no one else for company, surviving on, what she reckoned was, 200 calories a day, but she couldn't know for sure because, yeah, she wasn't Aubrey and she didn't know the calorie constitution of every food product.

And the irony was as soon as she accepted help, had opened up to Maggie, something would _happen_. She hadn't really decided how she felt about the baby up until now, almost ignoring what was actually going on until she could man up and deal with it. But in that moment she knew. Now, when it could potentially be too late, now she knew.

Wetting the washcloth, she cleaned herself up as best she could, feeling the vulnerability roll over her like a warm blanket. Gripping the sides of the wash basin, she blanched as a roll of nausea washed over her. Turning, she fell to her knees in front of the toilet, grabbling at the lid to raise it as she wretched into the bowl. She sat there for a few moments to collect herself before she rose to her knees, looking down as she felt a warmth running down her legs. Seeing the fresh blood, Beca began to cry. She wanted her Mom more than anything in the world.

"Mommy, I wish you were here." Beca cried out, the words reverberating around the tiled room, as she gripped her belly. An image flew into Beca's mind, a memory with her Mom, a few days before she had died, taken from Beca's world by an arrogant driver, too impatient to wait to overtake on a bend in the road.

**.o0o.**

It was just the two of them in their living room, in the home that was filled with love and happiness, music and fun where the memories of her Mom, Kate, still remained. It was a small house but they didn't need anything bigger for the two of them. They loved nothing more than sitting on the deck in the evenings, soaking up the last of the sun, talking about school, work, friends and life in general. Beca was very open with her Mom and they shared everything from a love of music to a passion for cooking.

With the rain currently tracing rivers down the windows, Beca was hunched over her homework on their overstuffed sofa in the living room while her Mom, glasses perched on the end of her nose, reading on her Kindle, was absentmindedly stroking one of Beca's feet, connecting with her daughter in the only way she knew how; by loving touch. She had lifted her head as she recollected that she needed to speak to Beca.

"Hey Beca Jane, did you see the flyer I left out on the kitchen counter for you?"

"No Mom?" Beca lifted her pen from the page she was currently writing on and scratched the side of her nose with the lidded end. "What was it?"

"There is a competition in town for young musicians. A showcase or something or other. You should read it." Kate said.

"Mom, I'm not good enough to let anyone hear my music."

"Oh Beca, you so are." She had paused, resting her Kindle by her side, as she looked Beca in the eye. "You _are_ good. You've got to get over this shyness. And start believing in yourself. You have a talent. A real talent."

"Mom, I love you for trying! Really. But my pipedream of going to LA is just that ... a childish fantasy!" Beca laughed. "What if I go to this thing and they don't like my style. Talk about knocking my confidence even more! I'll just play them for you and Grandma. I'll be your personal DJ!"

"Why do you do that?" Kate asked.

"Do what Mom?" Beca asked, tilting her head to look into her mother's eyes, deep blue, so like her own.

"Put yourself down all the time?" Kate looked puzzled for a moment.

"I'm not. I'm just not as good as you say I am."

"You don't know unless you try."

"I know." Beca said, having heard this same speech a couple of times before.

"Don't you want to even try?"

"I guess? Sometimes?"

"Beca, if you feel strongly about something, you need to fight tooth and nail for it. Don't give up because it looks too hard or difficult. If you want something badly enough, you have to be prepared to do anything ... absolutely anything to get it. To protect it. One day, you'll understand this. That ... that almost desperate need, to defend what's yours. Never wallow in self pity. Just fight."

"Wow Mom, you almost sounded like you know what you were talking about!"

"I got me some smarts!" Kate laughed, grabbing Beca's hand.

"I love you Mom."

"I love you too darling, more than you'll ever know." Kate said, with complete honesty.

"Forever?" Beca asked, smiling across at her mother, who she loved so dearly.

"Longer."

**.o0o.**

"Hi ... erm ... is Maggie around?" Beca asked as she slowly walked up to the desk in the motel foyer, having taken the past few minutes to gently walk across the car park to the reception area. She had eventually managed to get off the bathroom floor and get dressed. She remembered the friend she had in Maggie and decided she would be a good person to help her out.

"Nah babe, she don't starts 'til 10. So 'bout five minutes or so. You okay there darlin'?" Pete said, lifting his eyes to meet hers, having at least the decency to at least put his porn magazine down for a moment.

"I think so ... just ... just feeling a lit ..." Beca puffed out her cheeks and expelled the air in her mouth. The nausea was rolling over her in waves now and the room was beginning to violently spin. "... a little ... you ...?"

"Whoa, you need to sits lil' lady." Pete said, peering over the top of his glasses.

Pete stood up from his chair and watched as Beca began to wobble. He gestured towards the lone plastic chair next to the fake pot plant by the coffee machine and moved to the small room behind him to fetch a small glass of water. He came around the reception desk to hand her the drink but by the time he reached Beca she was on the floor, her legs buckled underneath her, her eyes already rolled into the back of her head.

"Whoa girlfriend ..." Pete called out as Maggie pushed the door open, the small bell at the top jangling.

"Pete? What's going on?"

"Dunno Mags. She came in lookin' for ya, went all wobbly, decided to take a nap on the floor and then you came in."

"Well, dial for an ambulance you great dumb brute. Honestly!" Maggie cried out, flinging her bag down on the stained lino as she sank to her knees.

"Beca, honey, are you okay?" Maggie asked as she swept the hair from Beca's face. "Can you talk to me, tell me what's wrong?"

Beca was unresponsive so Maggie rolled her on to the side as Pete confirmed that he had called for an ambulance. Maggie was worried and sat holding Beca's hands. She felt guilty that she hadn't insisted Beca come home with her last night and stay with her. The young girl hadn't wanted to but Maggie knew she should have pushed. She sat with Beca until the familiar jangle sounded in the small lobby.

"Okay, what we got please?" The Paramedic asked quickly as she came through the door, settling on one knee by Beca's unconscious body in the reception area.

"This is Beca. Um ..." Pete turned to Maggie for help. "Beca?"

"Mitchell I believe." Maggie said, standing quickly to get out of the way as the second Paramedic walked briskly into the lobby, carrying various pieces of equipment.

"Okay, guys. What happened?" He asked, bending over Beca.

"She collapsed." Pete said. "Other than that, we know nothing."

**.o0o.**

_When you try your best but you don't succeed  
>When you get what you want but not what you need<br>When you feel so tired but you can't sleep  
>Stuck in reverse<em>

_When the tears come streaming down your face  
>When you lose something you can't replace<br>When you love someone but it goes to waste  
>Could it be worse<em>?

Beca was aware of the sound of sirens as she felt herself come around. She wasn't really sure where she was but she sure wished that damn noise would hush up. She opened one eye to look around her and was genuinely puzzled how she managed to be in the back of an ambulance. She could feel and just about hear a Paramedic talking to her but couldn't respond even if she tried. She has alone, save for the Paramedic, and felt so terribly afraid. She didn't have time to think about it too much before her eyes rolled again and she was out.

She felt the ambulance come to a halt and then she knew she was being off loaded out of the vehicle and rushed through the main doors of the ER, drifting in and out of consciousness as she passed through the corridors and into a cubicle. She was vaguely aware of voices asking her questions but she simply didn't have the energy to respond. The pounding in her head was still there, but the nausea was starting to subside as she felt herself coming to and her thoughts became more lucid.

"Can you tell us your name sweetheart?" A triage nurse was asking.

"Um ... Beca."

"Hey Beca, I'm Amanda, one of the ER nurses. Are you okay to answer a few questions." She asked and watched as Beca nodded. "How old are you?"

"Um, 19." Beca answered.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Amanda asked, placing a warm hand on Beca's shoulder.

"I was blee ... um, bleeding ... this morning." Beca answered, her mouth dry and her tongue feeling overly thick.

"Bleeding? Where from?" Amanda asked as her head snapped round to look down at Beca's pale face.

Beca felt Amanda begin to cut away her clothes, gliding the scissors up the right leg of her jeans, snipping the fabric as she went. Beca tried to lift a shaky hand to try to stop her.

"Please stop." Beca said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What's the matter?" Amanda asked her.

"This is all I have."

"What is?"

"Um, clothes." Beca said, desperately trying to control her tears.

"Your jeans are ruined sweetheart. There's a lot of blood loss sweetheart, Okay? Were you hurt? Did someone hurt you?" Amanda asked as she continued to cut away Beca's jeans. She took note of Beca's shoes; cracked, thin and broken.

"No." Beca answered honestly.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"Um ..." Beca began to answer, feeling her cheeks flush. "Nothing. Nothing _happened_."

"You are safe here, you understand. Now let's get these jeans off you." Amanda said, tugging the scraps off denim away. She paused for a moment, taking in Beca's form before she turned to make sure the curtain was closed. She could see the small paunch in between the hollow hips and she could easily see how thin she was.

"Are you pregnant?" Amanda asked gently.

"Think so."

"Only think?" Amanda continued with her questions.

"Yeah."

"Have you not taken a test?" Amanda asked, surprised.

"No." Beca answered. The blackness was returning to her vision and the room was starting to spin even though she was lying down.

"Okay, let's run some tests and see what's going on. Beca, sweetheart, don't worry. Okay?"

"Hmmm." Beca said, beginning to slip out of consciousness again.

The nurse busied herself with setting up a drip as Beca desperately tried to ignore the pain in her belly and focused instead on remaining cognisant. Amanda busied her around the cubicle. She slipped a plastic cap over the end of an ear thermometer and tilted Beca's head to the side to place it gently in her ear. She made a note of her temperature and reached over to pull the blood pressure cuff from the top of the counter. She felt Amanda take her hand and slip the sleeve to the top of her arm, tightening the cuff and applying the pressure in one easy movement.

"Is there anyone we can call for you?" Amanda said, looking over to Beca as she took stock of her vital signs. "Beca? Beca, stay with me. Who can we call for you?"

"Chloe ... Beale ... Bar ... Barden ... Uni ..." Beca started to say as she passed out.

"Okay Beca. I heard you. Zoe Neale at Barton. Beca?"

**.o0o.**

"Hi Beca, how are you feeling?" Amanda asked as she pulled back the curtain to the ER cubicle half an hour later. She'd come round again and after thirty minutes on the drip was starting to feel less woozy.

"I'm fine." Beca said, her standard response when anyone asked her if she was okay.

"Doctor is going to be round in just a moment to answer any questions you might have. For now though, it appears as if the bleeding has stopped and we have arranged a scan for you in a few minutes time."

"Thanks." Beca answered.

"Can I get you anything?" Amanda said as she tucked her hip into the side of Beca's bed.

"Can I have some water?" Beca asked.

"Sure hun. I'll get you some in just a moment. May I ask you some questions?" Amanda said, looking down at Beca who seemed so very small, laying in the large hospital bed.

"Sure." Beca asked.

"Your shoes sweetheart. We've had to throw them away, they have holes in them. Are you running away from something?"

"No! I've only got one pair of shoes with me. I walked into the centre of Las Vegas wearing them and then walked home again."

"How far was that?"

"Far." Beca said. "I had to go for job interviews. I didn't want to waste seven dollars on the bus. I didn't think it was going to be that far."

"OK, if that -"

"- Hello ... um, Miss Mitchell, I'm Dr Mee, one of Emergency Room doctors. What seems to be the problem?" Dr Emily Mee said as she pulled back the curtain and entered the cubicle where Beca and Amanda were. She scanned the chart hanging on the foot of Beca's bed.

"I think I might be losing my baby." Beca whispered, finally voicing her fears.

"Okay, let's have a look, shall we?" Dr Mee said before turning to the nurse. "Can you please check on the timing of the scan please?"

"Sure Dr Mee." Amanda said, as she looked down to Beca before leaving the cubicle.

Dr Mee turned back to Beca and peeled the blankets from her before raising the hospital gown that covered Beca's modesty.

"Who is your gynaecologist?" Dr Mee asked, as she placed a cool hand onto Beca's paunch.

"Um, no one." Beca said. "No one here."

"How do you know you are pregnant?" Dr Mee asked, peering over the top of her glasses.

"I just think I am." Beca answered innocently.

"No other clues? Have you done a test? You are very thin. Do you have an eating disorder?" Dr Mee said bluntly but not unkindly. "This could be malnutrition. Or a stomach problem. Or maybe you've taken some drugs? How much do you drink -"

"- I had sex four months ago, without protection." Beca stated frankly.

Dr Mee raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she felt around on the top of Beca's belly for quite some time. She said nothing as she pulled her gown down and the blankets back up her body.

"I think we need to get you down for an ultrasound but I need you to consider that there may be nothing there." Dr Mee said directly before putting her head through the curtains to call for Amanda who hurriedly came up to the opening in the curtain, stepping just inside the cubicle.

"We can go now Doctor." Amanda said. "The porter will be here in a moment or two."

"Stay with her." Dr Mee said as she closed the curtains, pulling Amanda outside with her. "I can't feel anything. I think it's gone."

**.o0o.**

Beca lay on the hospital bed as she was pushed along the stark hospital corridors. The doctor had decided that she should stay laying down instead of being taken by wheelchair for her ultrasound as her being upright seemed to cause her to lose consciousness. She never felt as vulnerable as she did right at that moment. She desperately needed her friends and she glanced over to Amanda who hadn't left her side on the journey.

"You okay there sweetheart?"

"Did you get hold of my friend?" Beca asked.

"I'm sorry. I got hold of her at Barton University but she said she didn't know you. I'm sorry sweetheart."

"Okay ..." Beca said, a new type of pain washing over her. "... thanks for trying."

"Is there anyone else we can call?" Amanda asked. "The father of the baby?"

"He's dead."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -"

"- No. I'm good." Beca said, willing the tears not to come.

"Okay, well, we are here now." Amanda said, pausing by the bed as they halted while the porter announced their arrival. "I'll be waiting out here for you."

"Please can you come in with me?" Beca asked.

"Of course I can." Amanda said, pushing open the door.

"Thanks." Beca said.

"Hello, Miss Mitchell. I'm Dr Fritzchisholm. Please call me Dr Fritz. Are you okay to hop over onto this bed for me?"

"Hi." Beca said softly. "Please call me Beca. And yes, I can move, thank you."

Beca pushed the blankets from her lap and swung her legs over the bed. Amanda supported her arm as she shifted onto the bed by the ultrasound machine. She lay back down as Dr Fritz rolled over on his chair towards both eh machine and the bed.

"Let's pop this sheet up to here ..." Dr Fritz said, tucking a blanket up to Beca's hips. "... I'm going to roll up your gown and put some gel on your belly, okay?"

Beca nodded as Dr Fritz busied himself getting ready. Beca felt the cold gel hit her warm skin, followed quickly by the ultrasound wand as Dr Fritz moved the stick over her belly. He stared at the screen intently for several minutes and Beca could hear a pin drop in the small room. Finally, after what seemed like an age, he turned back to Beca and laid the wand down back on the table. He laid a hand on her shoulder before speaking, his face not registering any emotion, which scared Beca no end. She looked over to Amanda who tried a weak smile back at Beca.

"Miss Mit ... Beca, I need a second opinion to confirm. Are you okay to wait?"

"Confirm what Dr Fritz?" Beca said, tears now pouring down her face as she waited for the Doctor her biggest fears. "I know I've lost the baby."

"Oh, who told you that?" He asked, looking over to Amanda. "Please don't cry. This is a good thing. I need a second opinion to confirm my suspicions."

"I don't understand ..." Beca began.

"I'll be back in a moment. Sit tight." The Doctor said, alighting from his chair and quickly crossing the room. The door closed with a soft click.

"What's going on?" Beca asked Amanda. "Do you know?"

"No sweetheart, I don't." Amanda said honestly.

"Can I ask a question?" Beca asked.

"Of course." Amanda replied.

"When you spoke to Chloe earlier -" Beca began.

"-Chloe? I thought you said Zoe?" Amanda said, confused.

"No, Chloe Beale." Beca said, knowing she hadn't said the name wrong.

"Ah. I called a Zoe Neale at Barton." Amanda said.

"Oh right. It's um, Chloe Beale at Barden. She's a Russian Lit graduate. Would you mind -" Beca started to say.

"- I'll go now." Amanda said, standing up to go and make the call. She crossed paths with another Doctor as she left the room.

"Hello, I'm Dr Halifax. Are you okay if I perform an internal Ultrasound on you?" The new Doctor said, as she took the seat by Beca's bed, looking at the frozen picture on the monitor. "Actually, let's try with the external one first. I think I see what's going on."

"Yes, that's fine." Beca said, shifting her position to settle back on her back.

Dr Halifax quickly took the ultrasound wand in his hand and swept it across Beca's belly, watching the monitor closely for a couple of minutes. She pulled the wand away and pulled some tissue from a roll over the head of the bed. She began to wipe the excess gel away from Beca's belly before Beca instinctively put her hand across her stomach to take the tissue from the Doctor.

She was so busy wiping her tummy that she hadn't realised the Doctor had left the room. She saw Amanda by the nurses station on the phone and hoped she was calling Chloe. She laid her hands across her belly wondering what was going on. She was disturbed out of her day dream by Dr Fritz returning to the room.

"Beca, I've got good news and bad news." Dr Fritz spoke cheerfully. The good news is that you _are_ still pregnant. The heartbeat is consistent. It's weak and we need to get you well and healthy again so you can support this pregnancy properly but you _are _still pregnant."

"I am?" Beca asked, tears pricking her eyes. "I really am?"

"Yes!" Dr Fritz said as he took the seat next to her bed and spun around to face her.

"Is that what you needed the second opinion for?" Beca asked, unable to take the news in properly. "Why was I bleeding so much?"

"I needed the second opinion for something else. The bleeding, I am almost sure of is the result of pressure inside you. It does happen in cases, such as yours."

"Cases? Such as mine?" Beca repeated.

"Yes. You have what is known as an introverted uterus."

"Um, a what?"

"Everything is back to front."

"Oh. Well, with me, that figures." Beca deadpanned. "Will my baby be okay?"

"Oh yes! You may experience additional discomfort towards the end but I will have your OB-GYN run through that with you." Dr Fritz chuckled.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome my dear. Would you like a couple of pictures?"

"Yes please!" Beca said, feeling the weight of her worry leave her shoulders.

"Two minutes and I'll get some sorted. You can clearly see that they share a placenta."

"I'm sorry, what? They?"

"That's the other news!" Dr Fritz chuckled again. "You are carrying twins."

* * *

><p><strong>AN ... seriously, thank you for still reading this story. I have the whole story planned out and have done from the start so I will get it written and will desperately try to update once a week!**

**Of course, her friends have yet to find her. And Maggie will make a return soon. Is she a creeper?!**

**To all my readers and especially my reviewers: I really do thank you for taking the time to read this and for taking even more time to review.**


	15. Ramblings of an Author

**Intermission!**  
><strong>.o0o. And A Note From The Author .o0o<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Dear Readers,

I have been away from writing for a while. After a pretty busy and emotional year (mother in law passing away, my own (continuing) illness, a house move and the general stresses of life and family issues), I'm now in a place where I can get back to writing on a more regular basis ... i.e. updating more than once a month!

I am under no illusions whatsoever that I have an army of people sitting there waiting for me to finish this story but if you are still interested and want an end to this little tale, please drop me a PM, find me on Twitter (my usernames are the same and I have a bright yellow button for an avatar which matches my button here) or a leave a comment in the review box and let me know. I love hearing from you guys, even if it's a negative review as it shows you care enough to tell me what you do and don't like!

All of my stories are mapped out from the very beginning and all of them have a definite ending already written. I always write the last chapter first and then start at the beginning. Each chapter is planned and ready to be written up. I guess I just need you guys to give me a virtual kick up the backside!

Wishing you all the best,

waatp xx

**.o0o.**


	16. The Next Step

**Broken Promises  
>.o0o. Chapter Fifteen - The Next Step .o0o.<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Picking this story back up again. We last left Beca with the exciting, yet scary, news of her condition. Meanwhile, somewhere quite near Albuquerque, Amy is still causing mayhem ...**

**Thank you all for your continued patience while I've had the year from hell! Your support is amazing and appreciated xx  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>.o0o.<strong>

Chloe lay in the back of Aubrey's car, resting her head on her purse and trying to work out if it was her lip gloss poking her in the side of her face or a set of keys. She was listening to her two friends talking in the front of the car; they were unaware that she was awake. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept properly but reasoned it was the last time that she seen Beca. She'd felt out of sorts since her best friend had left, leaving so suddenly that she'd never been able to get over her disappearing.

"I doubt Beca was right in the head when she left." Amy said quietly, turning her head slightly and talking comically out of the corner of her mouth.

"I very much agree with you." Aubrey agreed, not taking her eyes off of the road. "I am disappointed in her for leaving and yet, at the same time, feel strangely protective of her and want her home safe."

"Are yoos shocked by Chloe's revelation?" Amy asked, referring to the conversation they'd all had a couple of hours before.

"Not really. I mean, I've known Chloe for so long and I knew how she felt about Beca. Okay, I'll agree that I thought she felt a more sisterly affection towards her but I'm not surprised by hearing that she does have strong feelings for her."

"Do yoos reckon Beca feels nothin' for Chloe?" Amy asked, surprising herself that she'd managed to remain sensible for so long.

"No, I don't." Aubrey replied, setting her mouth in a hard line.

"That was quite a firm answer."

"Well, if she did, she wouldn't have run away."

"Fair point." Amy said, reaching to pull down the sun visor. She looked at her teeth in the mirror. "Do yoos reckon I'd make a bonzer vampire?"

"I don't ... wait, what?"

"Maybe she ran away cos she was scared of her feelin's?" Amy said, confusing Aubrey even more by going back a step in the conversation.

"Or maybe as we originally decided that she thought Jesse had died because of her."

"But surely she'd have made contact with someone."

"Fear is a funny thing." Aubrey said and turned her attention back to the road as she overtook a truck emblazoned with Dunkin' Donuts and hoped Amy wouldn't notice and demand to hijack the treat filled van.

"Where are we?" Amy asked after a few minutes.

"Not sure. Check the Sat Nav?" Aubrey replied.

"How much longer do we have ta go before we stop?" Amy said, looking at the dashboard route finder. She curled her lip when she couldn't find anything of interest on there.

"Well, we just hit the four hour driving mark so maybe another hour and then we switch?"

"So, yeah, can we make it earlier as I have a situation." Amy declared.

"What kind of situation?" Aubrey asked, resting her elbow on the door panel.

"A turtle touching cloth type situation."

"Umm Amy?"

"Well, I do."

"You have a live animal in a bag and-"

"-That's not what I mean. I guess it is a bit of an animal but the pipe's been a bit blocked with all the excitement and-"

"-What the hell Amy?" Aubrey shrieked.

"She might need a restroom stop Bree." Chloe said wearily from the back of the car.

"Yes! You could call it a si_turd_ation!"

"Amy!"

"What? No need to yell, I'm sittin' right here."

"Why can't you ask to stop the car like a normal person?!" Aubrey yelled.

"Never mind that! Red is awake!"

"Because of all of your nonsense, that's why."

"No, it's yoos freakishly slow driving skills."

"I'm respecting the road."

"And I need ta poop." Amy declared.

"Guys, cool it. No one woke me up. It's called being worried about Beca." Chloe said, stretching out on the back seat before sitting up and yawning.

"Rest stop! One mile!" Amy yelled, wildly pointing with her finger, causing Aubrey to swerve slightly in fright.

"Will you start behaving like a normal person if I stop?" Aubrey yelled in response.

"Now where is the fun in that?"

"I could use a coffee Bree." Chloe said, yawning again.

"Okay, that's fine then. We'll stop for half an hour and let Amy clog up the drains and I'd like to perhaps do some yoga."

"And you say I'm not normal?" Amy quipped, a humourless joke Aubey ignored.

They turned off the road and pulled into the rest stop. Aubrey had just found a parking spot and was tucking the front nose in when Amy yelped, unfastened her seat belt, threw open the door and leapt out of the car in a semi graceful pirouette. Chloe was about to start commenting on why she couldn't dance like that in a Bella lineup yet when Amy began galloping like a horse towards the building.

She stopped at the doors for a moment or two before neighing at an older lady who dropped her coffee in fright.

**.o0o.**

Half an hour later saw them back on the road with Amy in the drivers seat. Chloe had volunteered to sit up front so Aubrey could rest, something her oldest friend was very grateful for. A couple of hours later, after copious renditions of Bohemian Rhapsody mixed with Frozen's Let It Go, even Chloe was ready to admit she'd had enough.

By the time the trio hit Albuquerque, the mood in the car changed.

"Only another nine hours to go." Chloe announced, looking at the Sat Nav.

"Do you think that Beca looks different?" Amy asked.

"Yes, she'll have grown horns in the last three months." Aubrey replied from the back.

"That would be SO cool!" Amy exclaimed and completely turned in her seat to nod appreciatively at Aubrey.

"For the love of ... EYES FRONT!" Aubrey yelled from the back, scrambling to sit up right.

"Hold yoos wad!" Amy called out. "It's on cruise control."

"That's just for speed Amy."

"Oh." Amy said, raising an eyebrow. "Thought it did steering too."

"Chloe, do you feel up to taking a drive? I fear we may not survive another nine hours."

"Calm down Aubrey! I'm only joking with you." Amy winked at Chloe who did a short eye roll back at her friend.

"Nine hours. Nine hours. Nine hours."

"What's that Aubrey?" Amy asked.

"Just repeating how long I have to manage sitting in this car with you."

"Don't forget the journey back." Amy smirked but began easing her foot down on the gas pedal. "We've got about fifty miles to go before we need to refuel."

"I think that's the first sensible thing you've said since we left Barden. Thank you for telling me the car needs-"

"Oh, car's good chook. I meant that _I_ need refuelling in a bit."

"There's half a sandwich in the footwell if you want it Amy. I didn't finish-"

"-Bagsy!" Amy yelled before Chloe had the chance to finish her sentence.

"Bagsy?"

"Mean's it's mine."

"Chloe, how long does someone get for unpremeditated murder these days."

"It's just half a footlong Aubrey. No need to get upset." Amy mirthed. "Unless you need the half a foot long more. I mean, it's been a while, right?"

"Huh?" Aubrey said, from the back.

"She means, the phallic shape and ... you know what, let's not get into that" Chloe declared, rubbing her eyes. "Anyone heard from Jesse today?"

"No. He doesn't tend to say much anymore. Not since Elena took over."

"She's just looking out for him."

"She's evil." Amy declared. "Mark my words."

"They are marked!" Chloe laughed. "Worth me calling Jesse?"

"I'd leave it." Aubrey said. "Save your phone in case Beca does try to call."

"Do you think she will, after all this time?" Chloe asked.

"Honestly?" Aubrey said and Chloe nodded. "No. I think she's left the rest of us behind and is probably already making a life for herself in Vegas."

"Then why are we-" Amy began.

"-Because Chloe needs the closure, if nothing else."

**.o0o.**

Beca sat in the hospital waiting room, clutching a paper bag full of information cards, pamphlets and recommendations for vitamins and prenatal supplements in one hand and a small handful of ultrasound pictures in the other. She felt slightly sick, giddy and in all honesty, downright scared.

For the mix up with the phone call, Amanda had squirrelled a few pictures of her unborn children for Beca to take away and as the realisation that she was carrying two babies began to sink in, the small brunette began to softly cry as she sat and waited for Maggie to come and collect her.

"What am I going to do?" She mumbled, her lips still slightly sore and cracked from lack of nutrition.

"You're going to come home with me and stay with my family." Maggie said, overhearing her new friends frightened words. Beca jumped in her seat, not realising that Maggie had joined her.

"I can't impose." Beca said quietly.

"It's not imposing. We'd like to welcome you into our family for as long as you need us." Maggie said sincerely.

"I can't pay rent."

"Not everything is about money sugar."

"But-"

"-Listen, don't you worry about that for now. Let's get you home and into a nice warm bed, my middle daughter, Melissa has looked out some clothes for you; she's just about your size and I brought some shoes for you to wear home. There's a bag with a sweater and some sweat pants in it, if you want to make yourself more comfortable."

Beca looked down at the pants she'd been given from the lost property box of the hospital, her own clothes having been cut off of her while she was being treated. She'd give anything to have a bag full of her own things right now and wondered where all of her belongings ended up. She guessed they'd have been taken by the Police or something and felt a small pang of regret that someone, probably Chloe, had had to pack it all up.

She missed her friend.

Sensing Beca was starting to retreat into herself again, Maggie nudged her gently with her elbow.

"Can I see the picture?" She asked and Beca nodded, holding out the grainy black and white photo for Maggie to see. "What am I looking at here? It's been a while since I saw one of these."

"That's baby A." Beca said, reluctantly pointing to the paper in Maggie's hand.

"A for what?" Maggie asked.

"Sorry, I don't understand."

"You called the baby 'A'. Does he or she have a name beginning with 'A'."

"No, that's just what they sonographer and the doctor called the baby on the left."

"Baby on the left." Maggie repeated and Beca saw from the look on her friends face that she was clearly confused.

"Yes, the one on the right is a little bigger but they are both fine and healthy."

"Twins." Maggie said, her face splitting into two as she absorbed the news. "Boys or girls?"

"I didn't want to know." Beca said, uncomfortable with the amount of questions being asked.

"Don't blame you sugar. The surprise will be so nice at the end."

"I guess." Beca shrugged.

"Congratulations!" Maggie said but the crack in her voice registered with Beca. She knew what Maggie was thinking as she was going through the same emotions and thoughts. She didn't know how she was going to cope either.

"Maggie, can I ask a favour please?"

"Of course."

"Can you drive me to the motel so I can collect my things?"

"Only if you agree to come home with me for at least a week."

"Would it make you happy?" Beca half smirked.

"I feel as if God put you in my path and this is what I am supposed to be doing."

"Just a week. Okay?"

"All right then. Here are the clothes." Maggie said, handing Beca a plastic bag. "Get changed real quick and then we'll head back to the Whole Year Inn."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

**.o0o.**

"... and then the albatross swooped down and pecked me Nan on the top of the head!" Amy laughed, finishing her story that felt too ridiculous to be believed.

"Your entire family is nuts." Chloe laughed out, feeling better than she had in days. She looked over at the sat nav timer. "Guys, look, we have just over half an hour to go."

"I'll be a happy camper to get out of this car, that's for sure." Amy said gazing out onto the landscape outside the steadily moving vehicle.

"That's because you are stinking it up every two minutes with your fragrant aroma." Aubrey said, reprimanding Amy for her noisy bodily functions.

"Just ma way of saying thanks for the foodies you bought me!" Amy said, grinning.

"Half an hour and then we can get Beca." Chloe said, happily.

"How sure are you that she's not going to run the minute she sees you?" Amy asked.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, she ran from Barden, has never been in contact and you think she's just gonna jump back in the car with you?"

"Amy!" Aubrey scolded.

"She has a point Bree."

"She needs to learn to control her points."

"That's a maybe. Yes, Amy, this might just have been the most expensive waste of time in the history of a capella but I had to try, as Aubrey said earlier. If she chooses to stay put, I'll leave her with some best wishes and our love."

"And a letter couldn't have done all that?" Amy laughed.

"Probably. But I'm not known for doing things by halves."

"True that." Amy mirthed. "Twenty five minutes to our destination guys."

"Not long to go now."

"Let's go straight there and see if we can catch Beca unawares."

**.o0o.**

"You all set?" Maggie asked as Beca rejoined her back in the waiting room. "I took the liberty of filling your prescription for you and before you say anything, I don't want any more for this. Think of me as you guardian angel."

"I'll pay you back one day." Beca promised, thanking Maggie with her eyes, a look Maggie understood.

"No need. Let's go and get your things before we head back to my apartment. It's a small place but the welcome is big."

"How long before we're there?" Beca asked as they walked out of the hospital doors together.

"From here, it'll take about twenty minutes in the car. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm good. I just feel really tired. I just want to get my stuff and get outta there. No offence, but I've seen enough of that place to last me a lifetime."

"I hear ya!" Maggie laughed as they walked out into the parking lot and towards Maggie's car. "You rest on up as we drive back."

"Thanks."

The drive back took the twenty minutes that Maggie said it would and they arrived back at the motel just as the No Vacancy sign fizzed into place. Beca had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, overwhelmed by the day's activities. Maggie gently shook her awake as she pulled up outside the familiar door.

"We're here sugar, why don't you go and collect your things while I wait here."

"Okay." Beca agreed, unfastening her seat belt and popping open the door. "It won't take me long."

Slipping out onto the asphalt, Beca quickly dug into the plastic bag for the key to the room that had served as her home for the last few weeks. Feeling just a twinge of emotion, she quickly unlocked the door and entered into the small, dingy room. Part of her was glad to see the back of the place but there was a fleeting memory of feeling safe within the walls. However bad the rest of it was, she always had the roof over her head.

Quickly collecting her few possessions, she took one last look around the room before shutting the door for the final time.

"Ready?" Maggie said as Beca climbed back in the car.

"Ready." Beca confirmed.

"I'll drop back your key to Pete tomorrow."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

Backing out of the parking space, Maggie headed out to the entrance and exit ramp of the motel. She sat with her blinkers on for a while as she waited for a gap in the traffic. Finally, a car flashed to let her join the line of traffic that was getting ready to join the freeway, the easiest route to Maggie's house.

"That was nice of that Cadillac to let me out. We'll be home in ten minutes." She said kindly.

**.o0o.**

"Three minutes ta go!" Amy yelled as she moved the car over to the exit lane of the freeway.

"Can't wait." Chloe murmured as she slipped her shoes back on and ran her fingers through her hair. She watched as Amy successfully negotiated around a few slower moving vehicles and trundled down the road in a steady pace.

"I see the motel." Aubrey called out, pointing along the road. "Slow down a bit Amy, there's a car waiting to come out."

"I'll let them out, that way yoos car won't end up with a new decoration in the grill."

"Amy ..."

"I'm slowing down. Look, see. And I flashed them to let them out too. See? That nice lady thanked me too."

"Okay, Amy, we've finally made it to the Whole Year Inn ... now let's go and find out which room Beca is in."

**.o0o.**


End file.
